SUMMARY
- Miami Heat and Jimmy Butler recently endured a narrow loss against the Philadelphia 76ers.
- Butler went down in the first quarter after a challenge from Kelly Oubre Jr.
The Miami Heat are set to face the Chicago Bulls in the play-in tournament after losing to the Philadelphia 76ers recently. The Heat will be the favorites on paper since they will be playing against a depleted Bulls team that is currently without Zach LaVine. However, that may not be the case now as superstar Jimmy Butler is set to have suffered an injury ahead of the important clash that will be the season-decider.
The Heat have been struggling throughout the 2023-24 NBA season. They surely do not look like the team that made it to the finals last year, beating the likes of the Sixers and Boston Celtics. It is a remarkable achievement on its own, and to think Butler played through an ankle injury just brings it to a whole new level.
During the game against the Sixers, Butler drove on offense for an easy layup. But Kelly Oubre Jr. attempted to block the Heat superstar and that was where he hurt his opponent. As Oubre jumped to try and block, Butler hit a fake and then tried to make it off the board after Oubre landed. The Sixers player landed right on Butler’s foot as he was falling and that proved to be quite painful for Butler. Despite this, Butler managed to continue to play in the game.
When will Jimmy Butler return?
Shams Charania has reported that Butler might have suffered an MCL injury, which could be quite severe and costly. For those who don’t know, the medial collateral ligament (MCL) is located in the inner area of your knee. Typical injuries in this area could include a strain, partial tear, or if the ligament tears completely. The recovery period for MCL injuries varies according to the severity, but it is between 3-6 weeks on average.
This has certainly sent Miami Heat fans into a meltdown, who were relying on the superstar to lead them to postseason success once again. If Butler has indeed suffered an MCL injury, he will surely miss the game against the Bulls on April 19. It looks like Heat fans have already given up on the season, as one user on X mentioned, “Oh yea it’s definitely over. No reason to even get our hopes up.”
Oh yea it’s definitely over. No reason to even get our hopes up.
— God Anointed Jew-El 💫 (@Bankroll__Quest) April 18, 2024
He can barely even walk yeah we should just lose on Friday end this season
— Exceed (@TBExceed) April 18, 2024
ye it was fun while it lasted 😔
— ghosty (@ayeeghosty) April 18, 2024
We had a good run, but we ride till the wheels fall off
— Chotanuki (@chotanuki235) April 18, 2024
Tyler Herro has to step up in Jimmy Butler’s absence
Tyler Herro is one of the players to look out for on the Heat roster, along with Bam Adebayo. The duo were decent against the Sixers as well. Herro made 25 points and Bam showed up in style with a double-double, making 12 rebounds and 20 points.
Bam has the ability to protect his team and lead them to the win, and Herro’s shooting ability is not a secret too. The youngster was the missing piece of the puzzle in the Heat’s playoff run last year, after suffering a hand injury when playing against the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round.
The 24-year-old is the leading point-scorer for the Heat alongside Butler, making 20.8 points on average. And Bam has been doing his thing as a big man as well, averaging 10.4 rebounds per game. Herro and Bam have what it takes to lead the Heat team, and the Bulls’ inconsistency this year could play as an advantage for them as well. However, DeMar DeRozan should not be taken lightly, and the Heat will have to be on their best defensively as well.