ASK IRA: Has Heat’s Jimmy Butler put himself into the MVP discussion?
If Jimmy Butler continues to play the way he has of late and because of it the Miami Heat end up capturing the No. 5 seed, should Jimmy Butler be in the conversation for NBA MVP? But with Jimmy Butler, I would put it this way: When Jimmy Butler wants to play like an MVP, he is as good as any two-way candidate this side of say Giannis Antetokounmpo or Joel Embiid.
Q: Hi, Ira. If Jimmy Butler continues to play the way he has of late and because of it the Miami Heat end up capturing the No. 5 seed, should Jimmy Butler be in the conversation for NBA MVP? – Carlos, West Park.
A: Probably still not the won-loss record or high enough playoff seed for that. But with Jimmy Butler, I would put it this way: When Jimmy Butler wants to play like an MVP, he is as good as any two-way candidate this side of say Giannis Antetokounmpo or Joel Embiid. There have been plenty of Jim-V-P games lately, and likely will have to be several more for the Heat to get where they want in the playoff seeds. Beyond that, all of a sudden, missing 15 games is not necessarily an outlier among NBA leading men. There are spots for five players on each MVP ballot. Three locks are Antetokounmpo, Embiid and Nikola Jokic, so the question is whether Jimmy could enter the next group, which many have including Jayson Tatum and Luka Doncic.
Q: Ira, in a season full of frustrating ups and downs, can it be that the Heat are peaking at the exact right time, as the Nets tank and the Knicks seem beatable? – William, Palm Beach Gardens.
A: Actually, peaking a bit too late, which is why the challenge for playoff seeding is as severe as it stands. Peaking at the right time would have meant not losing after the All-Star break to Charlotte and Orlando. It could come down to being too little, too late, even with these latest steps forward.
Q: What is a better first-round matchup for the Heat: Cavaliers or 76ers? – Nick.
A: Do we really want to be going there at the moment? But since the Heat are done with the Cavaliers for the regular season, I would say Cleveland. The Cavaliers could be one of those happy-to-be-there teams, where two or three wins in the first round might sate them. That clearly would be the target matchup of any of the Nos. 5-8 seeds.
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