“Deal With Me”: Jimmy Butler Defends Heat’s Teammate Over Altercation With Chris Paul

Jimmy Butler is one of the most aggressive competitors in the modern NBA. On the court, Butler has elevated his play into becoming a perennial all-star. Off the court, Butler has a reputation for being hard to work with. We have seen this in his manner of exiting Chicago, Minnesota, and Philadelphia before he made it to Miami.

The Heat is led by Jimmy Butler this season. They emerged as unlikely title challengers based on cohesive team play. It is no coincidence that Butler’s arrival facilitated this change. Jimmy is averaging a career-high in assists. Due to his aggressive tendencies, Butler is a vociferous protector of his teammates on the court.

During the Heat’s game against the OKC Thunder, Butler had a scuffle with Chris Paul after Paul threw a ball at Duncan Robinson. A few tense moments were shared prior to the kerfuffle, indicating that playoff basketball is soon upon us.

Butler had this to say post-game,

“Not gonna throw the ball at my teammate like that… We don’t do that here. You mess with one of my guys, especially one of my shooters? You’ve got to deal with me and everybody else.”

Jimmy Butler and the Heat

The Miami Heat have surprised everyone this season. While they were expected to make the playoffs, they weren’t expected to challenge the top of the East the way they have. They went 2-2 against the Raptors before the shut-down and were 2-0 on the Milwaukee Bucks. They dropped games to both teams in the bubble, however.

The team is doing well due to its unique construction by GM Pat Riley. Butler is a two-way scorer that can also facilitate but has lacked from three-point range. For that, Miami has shooters like Duncan Robinson and Tyler Herro. Kendrick Nunn adds offensive versatility. Bam Adebayo is a defensive presence in the post. Along with this, they also have veterans like Andre Iguodala to provide leadership and a spark off the bench.

The Heat are locked in to face T.J. Warren and the Indiana Pacers in the first-round playoff matchup between the four and five seeds. This means we have a few more fiery Butler moments ahead of us in the playoffs.