The Miami Heat, still in the middle of a Jimmy Butler controversy, are set to host the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday afternoon.
On the surface, the Spurs, at two games below .500, and the .500 Heat are similar.
Both teams entered this weekend just outside playoff position. And both teams are on losing streaks — three games for Miami and two for San Antonio.
But while the Spurs are led by 21-year-old superstar Victor Wembanyama, the Heat — from a spiritual standpoint — are getting dragged down by the 35-year-old Butler, who has asked to be traded.
The Heat suspended Butler for seven games for what they termed “conduct detrimental to the team.”
On Friday, Butler returned and produced 18 points, three rebounds and two assists in a 133-113 loss to the visiting Denver Nuggets.
It was hardly a vintage performance for a six-time All-Star, who just last season averaged 20.8 points, 5.3 rebounds and 5.0 assists.
Was Butler’s low stat line on Friday due to rust from not having played since Jan. 2?
Was it a lack of effort for a player who has said he has lost his “joy” for the game?
Or is Butler declining due to his age and the 956 regular-season and playoff games he has played during his 14-year NBA career?
Butler offered few clues on Friday as he answered “no comment” when asked if the situation could be fixed.
He did say it felt good to play with his teammates again.
“These guys are cool — they’re my friends,” Butler said. “My beef was never with them.”
Heat coach Erik Spoelstra, usually very friendly with the media, was a bit terse with some of his answers on Friday.
“I know what storylines you’re looking for,” Spoelstra said to a reporter. “I’m not feeding into that. We got our asses kicked (by Denver). From a defensive standpoint, it wasn’t good enough, and that’s three straight games.”
Spoelstra also said that his “methods are none of your business.”
Meanwhile, the Spurs are coming off two straight home losses to the Memphis Grizzlies.
Mitch Johnson, who is San Antonio’s interim coach, is preaching patience.
“I think our guys are trying to make plays,” said Johnson, who has stepped in for Gregg Popovich, who is out for the season due to health reasons.
Wembanyama has faced the Heat twice so far, and Miami won both times. In those two games, he averaged 18.0 points, 12.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists.
But after winning NBA Rookie of the Year last season, Wembanyama is even better in the current campaign. He is averaging 24.5 points, 10.8 rebounds, 3.7 assists and a league-leading 4.1 blocks per game.
At point guard, the Spurs are led by Chris Paul, who is nearly twice as old as Wembanyama. Paul, who turns 40 in May, is averaging 9.6 points and leads the team in assists (8.2) and steals (1.4).
The presence of Paul helps explain why the Spurs are so improved after finishing 22-60 in each of the past two seasons.
“He’s seen everything on a basketball court,” Johnson said of Paul. “To have someone like Chris, who probably has a better solution than I do … is worth its weight in gold.”
–Field Level Media
