Heat

Jimmy Butler: Despite Rocky Start, Heat Will Win NBA Title

November 1, 2022

It’s not exactly been a banner start for the Heat. After the first seven games, they compiled just two wins.

Remember, this is the team that finished with the best record in the Eastern Conference last season. But now? The Heat don’t seem so formidable.

It’s incredibly early, though, and star forward/guard Jimmy Butler said he expects it all to change.

“We’re still going to win the championship, and I don’t care what nobody says,” Butler said, via Sam Amick of The Athletic. “Count us out. We’re going to win the f***ing championship. I’m telling you. I don’t give a damn that we started 2-5.”

Butler has always been known for his confidence, intensity and just constantly giving effort. He very clearly is among the NBA superstars who doesn’t take losing lightly.

And he’s not the only member of the Heat that has reminded everyone that we’re not even yet at the 10-game mark. Everyone from guards Kyle Lowry and Tyler Herro to forward/center Bam Adebayo has done the same. That list also includes coach Erik Spoelstra.

But Spoelstra said he also wants the Heat to start playing more a cohesive group — and not just a bunch of talented individuals.

“Anybody that’s trying to do it on their own, anybody that’s trying to self-will it, anybody that’s trying to work any kind of individual goals with this, it ain’t gonna work,” Spoelstra said, via Shandel Richardson of SI Fan Nation. “It ain’t gonna work on either end. We have to come together as a group to figure this out and impact winning.”

“… We know what our identity is. We know we have to compete at this game together, on both ends of the court. We have that kind of disposition, and we have that commitment defensively when we’re fully engaged. And it’s just proven to be extremely costly when we’re not living on that razor’s edge.

“And that’s what we’ll fix. We obviously have some time. We’re not in a panic about it. But we don’t want to wait. We don’t want to wait anymore, particularly when we know the answers to the test. It’s just the full commitment to do this connected and together on both ends.”