The Miami Heat have had an unimpressive start to the 2024-25 NBA season, going 3-3 in their opening six games against a tricky slate. The generally unpredictable nature of the East means their record is good for the No. 3 seed in the Conference, but star Jimmy Butler didn't look content after their 110-111 loss to the Sacramento Kings on Monday.
In his post-game press conference, Butler pointed at the team's mentality as an issue.
“When we ain’t making shots, that’s normally when teams start to go on runs. We don’t get back. We don’t defensive rebound it. It is a defensive thing, but for us, it’s more offense when we don’t see that ball going through that basket. I think that mentally, we have to be stronger and tougher to get stops still. And I think that’s the main problem. That’s what you see in the third quarter.”
Butler has had a rough start to the season himself, averaging 18.7 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 5.7 assists so far. The biggest issue for the Heat has been their complete lack of shape in third quarters, with most of their losses being explained away by third-quarter meltdowns.
The Kings outscored the Heat by 20 points (17-37) in the third quarter of their clash on Monday, eviscerating the 13-point lead the Heat carried into the second half. Their loss against the New York Knicks on October 30 saw them lose 107-116 and get outscored 22-35 in the third quarter of that game, blowing a six-point halftime lead. Their opening night loss to the Orlando Magic saw the Heat suffer through an 18-39 third-quarter blowout.
The only teams the Heat have had a positive third quarter against are the Charlotte Hornets and Washington Wizards, both wins for the franchise. Their 106-98 win over the Detroit Pistons saw the third-quarter trend in full effect, getting outscored 26-14 over that stretch.
We have clearly a talented Heat team competing right now and they could've easily been 5-1 on a five-game winning streak if they managed to be even remotely competitive in the third quarter of their losses to the Knicks and Kings.
As for Jimmy Butler, he needs to find a way to elevate his play to prove to the Heat front office that he's worth the max contract extension he's eyeing next summer. If the season continues sputtering at a .500 rate for the Heat, there will be no incentive on Pat Riley's part to invest in extending a 35-year-old Butler on an expensive contract.
The Heat will hope to brush off their loss to the Kings when they return to the court on Wednesday for a high-stakes matchup against the 6-1 Phoenix Suns, beginning a six-game road trip for the franchise that could establish the Heat as a bonafide top-six team or fighting for a Play-In spot once again.
