In 2023, Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat were the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference and made a magical run to the NBA Finals. The Heat eventually lost to the Denver Nuggets in five games, but it proved they could be a threat no matter what seed they were in to start the NBA playoffs.
Now, Miami has to do it again. The Heat ended the 2023-’24 NBA regular season in eighth place, which sets them up for the Play-In Tournament against the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday night. Butler’s history with Philadelphia makes this matchup even more compelling.
Entering the 2024 NBA playoffs, Butler sat down with SLAM Online in mid-March and discussed the upcoming weeks and months in basketball. Based on his comments, the Heat forward seems pretty confident in his team’s ability to make a run for another NBA Finals berth.
“It’s the time where people really gotta think about going up against the Miami Heat and myself. I know what I’m capable of. I know what my squad is capable of. And don’t nobody want to see us in a seven-game series anyways. We know that.”
Jimmy Butler on the Miami Heat entering the 2024 NBA playoffs
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“Don’t nobody want to see us in a seven-game series anyways,” is the quote that Miami and Butler live by. Sure, the regular season matters since teams need to find the best lineups ahead of the playoffs, but the Heat know their best basketball will be played starting in April.
- Jimmy Butler playoff stats (Miami Heat): 24.7 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 5.7 AG, 1.9 SPG, 47.5% FG, 36.2% 3PT in 64 games played
This doesn’t mean the Heat slack off during the regular season; they play their best when it matters the most. With a supporting cast fairly similar to 2023 outside of Gabe Vincent and Max Strus, the Heat are ready for a big matchup against Butler’s former team on Wednesday.
So, how far can Miami go in this year’s NBA playoffs? It will lie on Butler’s shoulders, but he needs help from Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro.
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Evaluating Miami Heat’s chances in the 2024 NBA playoffs
The Heat start their march toward another NBA Finals berth against the 76ers this week, and if they find a way to beat them in Philadelphia, a matchup with the New York Knicks is on tap. If not, Miami’s only chance would be to run through Boston as the No. 8 seed.
Ironically, Butler and the Heat beat the Celtics and Knicks en route to the NBA Finals last year. Both teams are far better than in 2023, but New York is dealing with many injuries, including Julius Randle, who is set to miss the rest of the season.
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Boston is a juggernaut, and taking down the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference will be difficult. However, Miami has already beaten the No. 1 seed as the No. 8 seed, making the team a very dangerous matchup.
The Milwaukee Bucks, Cleveland Cavaliers, Orlando Magic, and Indiana Pacers are also there. Yet, the Bucks are dealing with Giannis Antenkounmpo’s latest injury, while the other three teams have little playoff experience compared to Boston and Miami.
This doesn’t mean the Celtics will blow by everyone in the Eastern Conference, but the states of the other seven teams are very uncertain. It wouldn’t be surprising to see Boston against an unexpected team in the Eastern Conference finals.
Of course, the Heat have their problems as well. The team ranked 22nd in field goal percentage and 26th in points per game. Yet Miami shoots well from beyond the arc and doesn’t turn the ball over very often, which are two key ingredients for a deep playoff run.
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Combine the Heat’s decent three-point standings and excellent ball control with the fifth-best defensive rating in the NBA, and it’s obvious why this year’s Heat team is arguably in a better position than last year. Miami has improved defensively and has more consistent three-point shooting than last year.
Truthfully, there is no team in the Eastern Conference that the Heat can’t beat in the playoffs. Sure, the Celtics may be a better team on paper, but there will always be that voice in the back of their heads saying, “The Heat beat us last year; they beat us in 2020; who says they can’t again?”
The pieces are in place for the Heat to have another deep playoff run despite possibly being the No. 7 or 8 seed in the Eastern Conference. If Miami can shoot the ball a bit better overall, there isn’t a team that “Playoff Jimmy” and his teammates can’t dethrone.