There is a buzz surrounding the Miami Heat that hasn’t been there for a few years, as they spent the summer retooling the roster after failing to reach the playoffs in 2018-19.
The biggest addition to the squad is Jimmy Butler, acquired in a sign-and-trade with the Sixers for Josh Richardson, who is the exact type of player that Pat Riley loves to have as the leader of his team. Butler’s presence goes beyond bringing a star caliber player to the roster, but is the start of Riley and Erik Spoelstra trying to revive the culture of the franchise that had for so long been its calling card.
On Wednesday, this new era of Heat basketball, one without Dwyane Wade, begins, but it will also start without Butler. The star guard was announced as out for their home game against the Grizzlies, citing “personal reasons,” for his absence, with Spoelstra insisting everything is fine with Butler.
Jimmy Butler will not play tonight due to personal reasons, according to Erik Spoelstra.
— Anthony Chiang (@Anthony_Chiang) October 23, 2019
Spo stresses “everything’s fine” with Jimmy Butler. “It’s all good,” Spo says.
— Tim Reynolds (@ByTimReynolds) October 23, 2019
Hopefully whatever it is keeping Butler out of the lineup for the opener isn’t too serious. As for the impact on the game, it leaves Miami without two of their shooting guards with Dion Waiters suspended for the opener, which would indicate we’ll see an awful lot of rookie Tyler Herro in a significant role.
