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The Miami Heat fell to the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday, 123-115, marking their third loss in the last four games. Miami’s recent skid has brought their record to 29-25, which has them slotted at sixth in the Eastern Conference.
Despite the loss, the Heat got a strong performance out of star forward Jimmy Butler. He posted 32 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 assists, while shooting 11-21 from the floor and 9-10 from the free throw line.
Bucks Head Coach Mike Budenholzer had some words on Butler, following his squad’s February 4 victory.
“That’s one of the toughest things is to keep him off the free throw line,” Budenholzer explained via Bally Sports Wisconsin. “Overall, I think we can be better with that, it’s a huge challenge. He was aggressive there for stretch and kind of put them up, luckily we were able to flip it. He’s a great player, we have a ton of respect for him. We know that he can do a little bit of everything. He’s great playmaker and facilitator, but when he needs to score he can do that.”
Butler, who played his college ball in Milwaukee at Marquette University, has been solid for the Heat all season. He’s appeared in 39 of Miami’s 54 games this year, playing 33.9 minutes each time. The 33-year-old averages 21.9 points, 6 rebounds, and 4.9 assists, while shooting 51.8% overall and 30.6% from beyond the arc.
Heat’s Jimmy Butler Speaks on All-Star Snub
Though Butler has been fantastic for the Heat this season, he was not select to play in the All-Star Game.
Following the loss to Milwaukee, the Heat star was asked if he was disappointed to be left off of the roster.
“Me no All-Star? Please. I’ll see y’all when I see y’all. But Bam does deserve that. He’s been carrying the load a lot this year. I’m happy for him,” he told the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson. “As for me? I’m happy I get a vacation.”
Heat Expected to Trade Dewayne Dedmon at Deadline
As the Heat struggle to play consistent basketball this season, fans and media members continue to speculate on potential trades that the front office could make to improve the roster.
On February 3, Bleacher Report’s Dan Favale listed off trade predictions for every NBA team.
When discussing Miami, Favale explained that he expects that Dewayne Dedmon “will be offloaded.”
“He (Dedmon) barely plays and doesn’t seem too happy, and turning his $4.7 million salary into a smaller number will afford Miami more wiggle room under the tax—which it’s currently inside $200,000 of hitting,” Favale wrote. “That extra breathing room will come in handy on the buyout market or in conjunction with other trades.”
A trade involving the big man not only makes sense because of his contract, but also because he’s clearly fallen out of favor with Heat Head Coach Erik Spoelstra. Back on January 10, the two got into an argument during Miami’s matchup with the Oklahoma City Thunder. Ever since, Dedmon has not been a part of the Heat’s rotation. Spoelstra even chose to roll out Udonis Haslem, who has appeared in just six games for the Heat this year, instead of playing Dedmon against the Knicks on February 2.
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