When Jimmy Butler rolled his right ankle on New York Knicks wing Josh Hart late in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals, cameras caught Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra muttering, 'F***.' His reaction echoed the sentiments of so many: The eighth seeds stood no chance without their best player.
DENVER, CO - JUNE 4: Jimmy Butler of the Miami Heat winces after taking contact against the Denver Nuggets in the second quarter during Game 2 of the NBA Finals at Ball Arena in Denver on Sunday, June 4, 2023.
That does not mean it will be a non-factor in what is now a best-of-five battle for the championship.last week at the annual media day for the Finals,"How is your ankle? You injured it against the Knicks and you tweaked it a little bit in Game 7. Are you 100 percent? Are you close to 100 percent? Is that a look that tells me you're going to lie right now?"
There are several ways to interpret that, but"bum ankle, and I'm not taking a follow-up" sure sounds like a player known toughness conceding no excuses, even if he has played 10 of his 13 games since the sprain on one day's rest. As Spoelstra said immediately after the injury,"You just don't know with ankle sprains."
Call his jumpstart against the Bucks unsustainable. Blame his performance on the injury or fatigue from a 33-year-old who gives every ounce of himself to each possession, but there is no denying something is amiss. Most notably, this: He made 72.7% of his 12.8 attempts per game from inside the paint before the sprain and has shot 44.2% on 10.6 attempts in the paint since.
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