The Miami Heat have been without Jimmy Butler for a few weeks, and things have not gone well during that time.
According to NBACentral, the Heat are now 1-6 since the Butler trade and have struggled even during this sole victory.
Is this just the Heat adjusting to life without Butler, or will they always be this way until they make a big acquisition?
The Miami Heat are 1-6 since the Jimmy Butler trade pic.twitter.com/xtXhDOWRBI
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) February 25, 2025
It all started with their game against the Brooklyn Nets on February 7, when they lost 102-86.
Following that, they fell to the Boston Celtics, Oklahoma City Thunder, Dallas Mavericks, Milwaukee Bucks, and Atlanta Hawks.
Their one win came against the Toronto Raptors on February 21, but that was an overtime victory that they had to claw and fight hard for.
It’s not because the Heat’s roster has completely fallen apart and they still have some great talent in the lineup.
But there is an argument to be made that the Heat are attempting to find an identity without Butler.
He injected a lot of leadership and personality into the team and was more than just a player.
During his prime, he was also a leader and a player-coach.
Heat fans are starting to worry that things won’t get better until next season.
Perhaps the Heat can make a big pick-up in the summer, and that will enhance their chances next year.
The Heat are now the ninth team in the East with a 26-30 record.
That means they would have to fight through the play-in tournament if it started today.
They have done that before and even pushed far into the playoffs, but that was when Butler was on board.
Will they have the same sort of success this year without him?
