Jimmy Butler – Miami Heat

The Miami Heat really struggled during the first-half of the season, but that was because they did not have a fully healthy Jimmy Butler. The 5x All-Star missed some games early on in the season due to lingering injuries and health protocols, but Butler seems to be 100% now and he currently has the Heat fighting for a Top-4 seed in the Eastern Conference. 

On the year, Jimmy Butler is averaging 21.4 points, 7.2 rebounds, 7.2 assists, 2.1 steals (league-high) and is shooting 49.5% from the floor. He is Miami’s “go-to” guy and this team is going to go as far as he is able to take them, much like last year when he turned it on in the NBA Playoffs and took the Heat to the NBA Finals. 

Jimmy Butler, along with Devin Booker, is one of the most underappreciated players in the entire league and nobody ever wants to give him the recognition he deserves. Maybe it is because he has hopped around from team-to-team over the years, but everywhere he has gone, Butler has made a positive difference, yet people still like to talk badly of him. 

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Not only is he one of the best wings in the entire league, but Jimmy Butler is one of the most versatile players in the entire league. He is not the best perimeter player, but he plays to his strengths of getting to his spots offensively and then defensively, he is as good as you can get as a perimeter defender. 

Jimmy Butler currently leads the league in steals per game and is one of the main factors why the Miami Heat are once again one of the better defensive teams in the league. He did miss some games early on and the Heat have not looked like the dominant team they were at the end of last season, but Butler is not the one to blame for this and he has done more than enough to earn this recognition this season.