As Jimmy Butler and the Golden State Warriors advance to the second round, many are shaking their heads at the Miami Heat for mishandling the six-time All-Star.
Former NBA forward Kenyon Martin offered an interesting perspective on Butler's feud with Miami. He said that the Heat organization has a more dismissive culture than its external perception. Martin also suggested the players around Butler weren't enough to compete for a championship.
"All those undrafted guys, they can play basketball," Martin said on a Sunday episode of Gil's Arena. "They are serviceable NBA players, but in order to be good and compete in this league, you need more than just serviceable basketball players. You need guys who people can respect, guys who people can build a career with, guys that know how to win. Those guys that fit that criteria are not gonna sign up for all the extra-curricular things that's been noted within the Heat organization."
Most of the blame seems to be placed on Heat president Pat Riley.
The organization's inability to place stars - or help in general - around Butler hindered the team in multiple postseasons. Butler's superstar performances weren't matched by Bam Adebayo or Tyler Herro, leading many fans to call for changes to upgrade the supporting cast.
The Heat hit a boiling point this season with Butler's contract negotiations, as the drama poured into the on-court product. Miami dished out their superstar to the Warriors, where he is now facing his former Minnesota Timberwolves alongside four-time champions Draymond Green and Steph Curry.
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Jayden Armant is a graduate of the Howard University School of Communications and a contributor to Miami Heat on SI. He can be reached at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter @jaydenarmant.
