Why Is Jimmy Butler Out vs Timberwolves? Will Miami Heat Now Be Slapped With $100,000 Load Management Fine?

The Player Participation Policy (PPP) has paved the way for complex scenarios. Now, you can’t rest your star player if there is a national TV fixture. And you can’t rest more than one All-Star level player during a regular fixture. The rules aim to curb load management and make sure fans tune in to catch the top-level players. Therefore, now, before resting a player, the franchise must take this policy into account. And we are witnessing such conundrums come up daily. This is why this policy can make for difficult adjustments. However, teams are also finding a way around it.

In this wake, just two games into the season, the Miami Heat has decided to rest Jimmy Butler. Will they have to pay a fine as per the PPP?

Will not having Jimmy Butler cost the Miami Heat?

The Miami Heat is set to play against the Minnesota Timberwolves in an away affair. They lost to the Celtics in their last game after winning their opener against the Pistons. Butler participated in both affairs and played 34 minutes in each of the games.

The team feels that they need to rest him for this affair. Since this is not a national TV game, the team will skip the fine. Remember, when a star player sits out for load management during the first instance, a team is fined $100,000.

However, the team already has another All-Star Bam Adebayo, so they can avoid that fine.

But if it was a national TV game, then the Heat could have faced a fine. The NBA is more serious than ever about curbing load management. They are looking at each instance of a player being rested with an observatory lens. In the case of James Harden, they are investigating the 76ers. The franchise denied him the right to fly to Milwaukee for their national TV game against the Bucks. But this circumstance is unique in its way.

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At any rate, how will the Miami Heat counter an offensively loaded-Wolves without Butler?

Tough road for the Heat?

The Wolves come into this game after facing a 94-97 loss against the pesky Raptors. Anthony Edwards had 26 points but shot horribly and the overall offense fell flat. However, the team’s power-packed offense will be a challenge for the Heat. They will have to counter Edwards and Anthony-Towns.

The Wolves did struggle in their opener but things can change quickly. Last season, they had one of the best offenses. Not having Butler complicates things, it disturbs the Heat’s scoring balance. But the team knows how to get it done defensively.

Will they be able to clear the hurdle without Jimmy G Buckets?

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