The Miami Warmth, nonetheless in the midst of a Jimmy Butler controversy, are set to host the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday afternoon.
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On the floor, the Spurs, at two video games under .500, and the .500 Warmth are related.
Each groups entered this weekend simply exterior playoff place. And each groups are on shedding streaks three video games for Miami and two for San Antonio.
However whereas the Spurs are led by 21-year-old famous person Victor Wembanyama, the Warmth from a non secular standpoint are getting dragged down by the 35-year-old Butler, who has requested to be traded.
The Warmth suspended Butler for seven video games for what they termed “conduct detrimental to the team.”
On Friday, Butler returned and produced 18 factors, three rebounds and two assists in a 133-113 loss to the visiting Denver Nuggets.
It was hardly a classic efficiency for a six-time All-Star, who simply final season averaged 20.8 factors, 5.3 rebounds and 5.0 assists.
Was Butler’s low stat line on Friday as a result of rust from not having performed since Jan. 2?
Was it an absence of effort for a participant who has stated he has misplaced his “joy” for the sport?
Or is Butler declining as a result of his age and the 956 regular-season and playoff video games he has performed throughout his 14-year NBA profession?
Butler supplied few clues on Friday as he answered “no comment” when requested if the scenario might be mounted.
He did say it felt good to play together with his teammates once more.
“These guys are cool they’re my friends,” Butler stated. “My beef was never with them.”
Warmth coach Erik Spoelstra, often very pleasant with the media, was a bit terse with a few of his solutions on Friday.
“I know what storylines you’re looking for,” Spoelstra stated to a reporter. “I’m not feeding into that. We got our asses kicked . From a defensive standpoint, it wasn’t good enough, and that’s three straight games.”
Spoelstra additionally stated that his “methods are none of your business.”
In the meantime, the Spurs are coming off two straight residence losses to the Memphis Grizzlies.
Mitch Johnson, who’s San Antonio’s interim coach, is preaching endurance.
“I think our guys are trying to make plays,” stated Johnson, who has stepped in for Gregg Popovich, who’s out for the season as a result of well being causes.
Wembanyama has confronted the Warmth twice to date, and Miami gained each instances. In these two video games, he averaged 18.0 factors, 12.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists.
However after successful NBA Rookie of the Yr final season, Wembanyama is even higher within the present marketing campaign. He’s averaging 24.5 factors, 10.8 rebounds, 3.7 assists and a league-leading 4.1 blocks per sport.
At level guard, the Spurs are led by Chris Paul, who is sort of twice as outdated as Wembanyama. Paul, who turns 40 in Could, is averaging 9.6 factors and leads the workforce in assists and steals .
The presence of Paul helps clarify why the Spurs are so improved after ending 22-60 in every of the previous two seasons.
“He’s seen everything on a basketball court,” Johnson stated of Paul. “To have someone like Chris, who probably has a better solution than I do … is worth its weight in gold.”
Area Stage Media