Since Jimmy Butler was traded to the Miami Heat from Philadelphia in 2019, his first two seasons with his new team have either been feast—i.e. advancing to the NBA Finals in 2020—or famine—i.e. getting bounced in the first round of the playoffs last year.
Still, Butler has remained one of the NBA's better wing players, and the Heat remain one of the better teams in the Eastern Conference. Until recently, it's seemed like a perfect fit.
Miami's 106-98 win at Boston on Wednesday night muddied whatever impressions and narratives of Butler took hold last week, but the veteran star wing remains a wild card heading into the playoffs.