ESPN insider drops expectation for Jimmy Butler facing the Miami Heat for the first time, 'you are going to see…'
Meeting for the first time since the trade, Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat are slated to square off for an intense basketball showdown.
Butler, now with the Golden State Warriors, is fully motivated to face the former Heat squad he led for more than five seasons until an embattled fallout occurred, with the superstar forcing his exit away from the team.
Former teammate Bam Adebayo expects a massive challenge from Butler in the upcoming match-up, that Draymond Green has expressed excitement for, to see what the enigmatic star has in store.
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All eyes are certainly fixated on Butler’s demeanor considering the messy exit from South Beach, which all began last year when Pat Riley infamously called him out, and rejected his desire to get a max extension.
ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk foresees a determined Warriors rallying behind the back of the 35-year-old in order to get the statement win.
“I think he’s going to be pretty focused. And I think that you are going to see a Warriors team that definitely wants to make sure Jimmy Butler has a good game.”
Youngmisuk added about Butler: “It does not look like anything is going to knock him off his focus, of trying to get a win against this former team and making sure the Warriors stay in that sixth spot as they try to stay out of the Play-In.”
Setting aside the narratives between Butler and the Heat, the Warriors couldn’t be more desperate to clinch a much needed win in their upcoming game in Miami.
After winning seven straight games, the Dubs have experienced bumps since then, going 2-2 over their past four games, which includes losing in a disappointing fashion against a shorthanded Denver Nuggets squad without Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray.
Another loss would pull Golden State to the Play-In field. At No. 6 of the Western Conference with 41-30, they are only one game behind the LA Clippers (40-31) as well as the Minnesota Timberwolves (41-32).
More than beating the Heat, expect Butler and the Warriors to be aggressive enough to keep their playoff hopes alive.
