Heat’s Erik Spoelstra: Jimmy Butler Needs Me To Push Him To Higher Levels

The Heat made a surprising run to the NBA Finals two years ago. Last season, they were bounced by the Celtics in the first round of the playoffs.

So you can say that in each of the past two seasons, it took the eventual NBA champions to eliminate Miami. Last year, they had to go through their playoff series without an injured Butler.

Now, which Heat team will we get?

Well, for starters, it’s a team that still features Erik Spoelstra as coach and Jimmy Butler as the presumed leader. The latter, however, was at the center of some offseason rumors, as Butler reportedly sought a contract extension. None was delivered.

But Spoelstra told reporters that Butler “is in a good place coming into camp” and has a positive attitude about the task that awaits.

“He’s prepared himself,” Spoelstra said, via Anthony Chiang and Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. “He’s spent a great deal of time working and preparing. We were in contact.

“He’s at a point where he needs me to coach this team at a high level and coach him and push him to higher levels. And I need him to be at his highest level as a player and a leader. That goes for everybody else.”

This season, the Heat are largely the same, with the likes of Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro and Terry Rozier as some of the other reasons for hope. But their only notable offseason acquisition was journeyman wing Alec Burks. So they will have to hope for good health and that familiarity will breed success.

“For all of us to be healthy and win ultimately. That’s the biggest goal for all of us,” Adebayo said.

And it really does generally begin and end with Butler.

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