Update: Jimmy Butler out several weeks with MCL sprain

[RRR3]

Ensuring a few teams stay in purgatory instead of improving just so you can squeeze a few more bucks out of consumers isn’t a good defense.

[Wolfgang630]

Zion gets injured and that was the reason Lakers won. Butlers gets injured and that’s why Philly won.

[FarBeyondDriven]

Giving worse teams a chance to get higher seeds than better teams because of single elimination fluke shooting games is actively insane. Especially since as we see adding extra must win games is another chance for injury. Both the Heat and Pelicans should be in the playoffs right now. Silver sacrifices players for the league to make money. Pathetic fraudulent pos commissioner.

What’s crazy is almost everyone knew the play-in was a horrible, unfair idea at first but the relentless media campaign jerking it off has brainwashed many into thinking it’s good.

Just crown Boston the champs. Giving worse teams a chance to beat higher seeds because of only 7 games instead of 82 is actively insane.

Your logic fails because the better team always wins a 7 games series, but a better team does not always win a 1 game series. If someone beats boston in a 7 game series they were the better team objectively. It's not true for play in single games as random variables can overcome which team is better - single game poor officiating, balls bouncing weird ways, etc. in a 7 game serie sthat stuff is normalized out and the better team wins.

not really. There's been a few clearly rigged series like 2002, 2010 and 2016. And there have been countless injuries that affected the outcomes of series as well. Too many times it's been simply a war of attrition or luck. When is the last time the two best teams in the NBA faced each other in the Finals and arrived there after beating healthy teams in each round of the playoffs? Someone has always been either injured and out or extremely banged up and it's affected the NBA playoffs for at least the past decade.

[RB34]

Last season the Bucks as the 1st seed had to play an incredibly hot Heat team while the Celtics got to play a 1st round fodder Hawks team.

Let's just call it what it is, you simply got lucky 2 years in a row, it has nothing to do with seeding or anything else.

The crazy thing is that despite all that luck which involved Butler cooling down due to a bad ankle sprain against the Knicks and a fluke game winner to avoid elimination in game 6, you guys still got embarrassed in game 7 on your home court.

Lol.. lucky? Tatum got injured the first play of the game in game 7.

Yes, 1 game which you were lucky to even be in, a game Tatum finished btw certainly compares to Bulter playing the whole series with a golf ball sized bruise on his ankle.

Same old story. Heat excuses trump all.

[reddyplayerone]

Actually it’s not that hard to refute. The play in game was there to have more competition in the middle. The bad teams were always going to be bad so not sure what that has to do with anything. When was the last time there were 18 teams with more than 45 wins? I honestly can’t remember the last time both conferences had all 8 seeds with close to 50 wins. You are only getting that because teams are trying to avoid the play in. This actually means the trash teams are going to lose even more because the average teams aren’t going to give up flukey games as much.

Trash teams were always going to keep losing. The play in wasn’t meant to ‘fix’ that. It was meant to ensure teams seeded 4-10 actually tried in the regular season beyond February. From that perspective, it has been an absolute win.

While I can understand the logic here to an extent, an important thing to recognize here is that while it's cool and all to have 8 seeds that are flirting with 50 wins, we're seeing what to me is a really really stark divide between them and the teams they're having to play against in the play-ins.

Maybe not so much out west here, where the Kings-Lakers-Warriors-Pelicans have been bunched up all year and all finished within like 3 wins of each other.

But out East? Idk I think Miami fans have a right to feel a type of way about finishing one game behind the Sixers, and then losing their best player in a losers double elimination game, where they won't have him for their elimination game proper against a Bulls team that couldn't even get to 40 wins this year.

Their reward for a solid season is, at best, getting the right to limp into a matchup shorthanded against the team with the most wins in the entire league.

That's just not great.

Someone brought it up in the "play-ins are trash" thread, but there are tweaks that can be made here for sure. I think a minimum number of wins to qualify for play-ins make sense. I think a simple 8-9 single game elimination makes sense.

[Domejandro]

The play-in is great, most of the criticisms against it feel like sour grapes.. It adds real stakes to getting the sixth seed, eighth seed, and tenth seed. Realistically, a seventh/eight/ninth/tenth seed isn't winning a Championship, outside of wildly extenuating circumstances. The lowest seed to ever win a Championship were the repeating 1994-95 Houston Rockets who were only sixth in the Western Conference (47-35) due to a string of mid-season injuries.

I really don't feel that bad for low-seeded Playoff teams, the answer is to take the regular season serious and win more games (sometimes bad injury luck can impact this!). Freak injuries happening during the play-in doesn't change the dynamic at all.

[SlovenianDragon]

Oubre got hit by a car...

How can we make basketball safer so this doesn't happen again?

I suggest 34 games a season and reduce the playoffs to a bo5...

Can't be to careful these days...

[One Last Shot]

Actually it’s not that hard to refute. The play in game was there to have more competition in the middle. The bad teams were always going to be bad so not sure what that has to do with anything. When was the last time there were 18 teams with more than 45 wins? I honestly can’t remember the last time both conferences had all 8 seeds with close to 50 wins. You are only getting that because teams are trying to avoid the play in. This actually means the trash teams are going to lose even more because the average teams aren’t going to give up flukey games as much.

Trash teams were always going to keep losing. The play in wasn’t meant to ‘fix’ that. It was meant to ensure teams seeded 4-10 actually tried in the regular season beyond February. From that perspective, it has been an absolute win.

While I can understand the logic here to an extent, an important thing to recognize here is that while it's cool and all to have 8 seeds that are flirting with 50 wins, we're seeing what to me is a really really stark divide between them and the teams they're having to play against in the play-ins.

Maybe not so much out west here, where the Kings-Lakers-Warriors-Pelicans have been bunched up all year and all finished within like 3 wins of each other.

But out East? Idk I think Miami fans have a right to feel a type of way about finishing one game behind the Sixers, and then losing their best player in a losers double elimination game, where they won't have him for their elimination game proper against a Bulls team that couldn't even get to 40 wins this year.

Their reward for a solid season is, at best, getting the right to limp into a matchup shorthanded against the team with the most wins in the entire league.

That's just not great.

Someone brought it up in the "play-ins are trash" thread, but there are tweaks that can be made here for sure. I think a minimum number of wins to qualify for play-ins make sense. I think a simple 8-9 single game elimination makes sense.

Maybe Heat fans should look at the reason why they have to be in the play-in elimination in the first place rather preparing for the playoffs and start with their franchise player getting paid $184 million who admits he doesn't start playing "for real" until after the all-star break instead of blaming the NBA rules.

Read on Twitter

[Edrees]

The more games that are played, the higher the injury risk. It's simple probability. You get 83 chances to get injured instead of 82. Play in games are extra games that were not there before.

It's 1 or 2 extra games. Have playoff injuries notably gone up since they went Best of 7 in the 1st round because of a few extra games?

As I said, what's the difference between Game 1 of a play-in and Game 1 of the playoffs in terms of injury risk?
Players don't even play near full regular seasons anymore anyway so I don't see why a game or two makes much of a difference in terms of body maintenance.

I dont know the data or exact numbers, but I don't think one can deny the more games, the more chance of injury. What's your definition of "much" of a difference, or "notably gone up"?

The way I see it, if you play 0-1 games a season, there's almost 0 chance for injury, and if you play 365 games a year, there's pretty much 100% chance of injury. Everything between 0 to 365 games you can draw a curve that increases with some slope. I dont know the numbers but I do know for a fact that the chance of injury with 2 more games is larger than the chance with 2 less games. I agree we dont know the amount. It could be small, but it could also be large.

So I wouldn't say that Jimmy butler had no chance of having that injury had he not played one extra game, but I would say it is definitive that his chances of having that injury would have been less.

I'm just saying the discussion is "are the incresed chances of injury, whether small or large, worth the benefit of the play in" it's not a question of are the chances larger. That's the wrong question to ask.

Oubre got hit by a car...

How can we make basketball safer so this doesn't happen again?

I suggest 34 games a season and reduce the playoffs to a bo5...

Can't be to careful these days...

Well on the flipside, if you think the play in is good, then i'll suggest a best of 27 format for all playoff series and 150 game season. the more games the better. If you want to talk extremes, that game can be played on both sides. There's a lot of support for shortening the NBA season to 60 to 70 games. Nobody is talking 34 games, there's not a legitimate case for that.

[reddyplayerone]

The play-in is great, most of the criticisms against it feel like sour grapes.. It adds real stakes to getting the sixth seed, eighth seed, and tenth seed. Realistically, a seventh/eight/ninth/tenth seed isn't winning a Championship, outside of wildly extenuating circumstances. The lowest seed to ever win a Championship were the repeating 1994-95 Houston Rockets who were only sixth in the Western Conference (47-35) due to a string of mid-season injuries.

I really don't feel that bad for low-seeded Playoff teams, the answer is to take the regular season serious and win more games (sometimes bad injury luck can impact this!). Freak injuries happening during the play-in doesn't change the dynamic at all.

Maybe Heat fans should look at the reason why they have to be in the play-in elimination in the first place rather preparing for the playoffs and start with their franchise player getting paid $184 million who admits he doesn't start playing "for real" until after the all-star break instead of blaming the NBA rules.

Read on Twitter

So there's a very weird thing going on here where people are arguing that a team like the Heat just wasn't trying hard enough and THAT'S the sole reason they're in the play-in position they are now.

And it seems to be coming from fans of teams that are higher seeds?

Like yeah I can totally see why the play-ins would be a fun little lark for fans of teams in the position to wreck them in a 4-5 game series in the first round lmao.

I won't speak for the Heat or that fanbase too much here, they aren't my team and I don't watch enough of them.

I do watch the Lakers though, and I don't think there's any reason to believe they weren't trying their best to win as many games as possible this year. It's not like we saw AD or Bron skipping a ton of games or anything like that. But the Lakers have dealt with injuries all year long, on top of weird bouts of underperformance from critical role pieces.

Sure effort may fluctuate here or there, but on a macro level I guess I just don't really see any reason to believe players on teams that many forecast to be quite competitive wouldn't try to be, y'know, competitive.

And no I'm not really swayed by Jimmy saying he tries harder in the playoffs, because I'm pretty sure that's literally what every player either has said or would say in the same instance.

And it's a completely different statement than, "I'm not trying very hard right now." Actually.

Like this is literally from the article you're linking here:

While Butler may say he’s now “playing for real,” it’s more that he’s finding another gear than just starting to try. Heat fans know that Butler gives a supreme effort night in and night out for his squad, and he’s one of the best two-way players in the NBA.

We're talking about Jimmy Butler here, I feel like of all the things he could be credibly criticized for in his career, his competitiveness isn't one of them.

[Domejandro]

So there's a very weird thing going on here where people are arguing that a team like the Heat just wasn't trying hard enough and THAT'S the sole reason they're in the play-in position they are now.

And it seems to be coming from fans of teams that are higher seeds?

We're talking about Jimmy Butler here, I feel like of all the things he could be credibly criticized for in his career, his competitiveness isn't one of them.

1. Yeah, injury luck plays a huge part in a team's success. This hasn't changed significantly from the prior format (if anything, there is now a wider window for talented teams blasted by injuries to squeak into the Playoffs).

2. Suggesting that my post anywhere implied that "the sole reason" for underperformance is teams "not trying enough" is a pretty exceptional reading of that post. Low-seeded Playoff teams just have to perform more consistently throughout the season to get a guaranteed slot now; that can be a product of luck, failed planning, or poor execution.

3. Minnesota has been in the play-in twice. You can go through my post history, I have never complained about the play-in (because it is a good idea!).

4. Given that I watched Jimmy Butler purposefully throw games in Minnesota to force a trade (because Minnesota offered him a five-year max in the following off-season, rather than trading multiple firsts to open cap space for a renegotiation and extension), I would absolutely feel comfortable clowning on Jimmy Butler's competitiveness. Talented player or not, the dude is a goofball.

[One Last Shot]

The play-in is great, most of the criticisms against it feel like sour grapes.. It adds real stakes to getting the sixth seed, eighth seed, and tenth seed. Realistically, a seventh/eight/ninth/tenth seed isn't winning a Championship, outside of wildly extenuating circumstances. The lowest seed to ever win a Championship were the repeating 1994-95 Houston Rockets who were only sixth in the Western Conference (47-35) due to a string of mid-season injuries.

I really don't feel that bad for low-seeded Playoff teams, the answer is to take the regular season serious and win more games (sometimes bad injury luck can impact this!). Freak injuries happening during the play-in doesn't change the dynamic at all.

Maybe Heat fans should look at the reason why they have to be in the play-in elimination in the first place rather preparing for the playoffs and start with their franchise player getting paid $184 million who admits he doesn't start playing "for real" until after the all-star break instead of blaming the NBA rules.

Read on Twitter

So there's a very weird thing going on here where people are arguing that a team like the Heat just wasn't trying hard enough and THAT'S the sole reason they're in the play-in position they are now.

And it seems to be coming from fans of teams that are higher seeds?

Like yeah I can totally see why the play-ins would be a fun little lark for fans of teams in the position to wreck them in a 4-5 game series in the first round lmao.

I won't speak for the Heat or that fanbase too much here, they aren't my team and I don't watch enough of them.

I do watch the Lakers though, and I don't think there's any reason to believe they weren't trying their best to win as many games as possible this year. It's not like we saw AD or Bron skipping a ton of games or anything like that. But the Lakers have dealt with injuries all year long, on top of weird bouts of underperformance from critical role pieces.

Sure effort may fluctuate here or there, but on a macro level I guess I just don't really see any reason to believe players on teams that many forecast to be quite competitive wouldn't try to be, y'know, competitive.

And no I'm not really swayed by Jimmy saying he tries harder in the playoffs, because I'm pretty sure that's literally what every player either has said or would say in the same instance.

And it's a completely different statement than, "I'm not trying very hard right now." Actually.

Like this is literally from the article you're linking here:

While Butler may say he’s now “playing for real,” it’s more that he’s finding another gear than just starting to try. Heat fans know that Butler gives a supreme effort night in and night out for his squad, and he’s one of the best two-way players in the NBA.

We're talking about Jimmy Butler here, I feel like of all the things he could be credibly criticized for in his career, his competitiveness isn't one of them.

Do you honestly believe that a team who made 2 NBA Finals and 3 Conference Finals in the last 4 years with arguably the best HC in the entire NBA can't secure a 6th seed if they try harder? Butler missed a game due to "rest" in their 3rd game of the regular season and they are just 1 game behind the 5th seed proves how important every game is unless they are the Celtics who are just coasting, having some rest preparing for the playoffs the past few weeks because they took care of their business once the season started. If that isn't trolling then I don't know what to tell you.

Read on Twitter

Taking off the entire regular season and flipping a switch in the playoffs seems to be a custom in Miami, and this mentality is led by their superstar, Jimmy Butler. Fans might wonder why Butler is only a six-time All-Star who has missed the game each of the past two years, and it is because he simply doesn't take the regular season seriously.

They are so confident they will easily make the playoffs through the play-in and now Butler got injured. How can they flip the switch now and unleash competitive "Playoffs Jimmy" if they are in the lottery? They made their own bed, now they must lie on it. I bet they will secure a Top 6 seed next season barring another injury.

[reddyplayerone]

So there's a very weird thing going on here where people are arguing that a team like the Heat just wasn't trying hard enough and THAT'S the sole reason they're in the play-in position they are now.

And it seems to be coming from fans of teams that are higher seeds?

We're talking about Jimmy Butler here, I feel like of all the things he could be credibly criticized for in his career, his competitiveness isn't one of them.

1. Yeah, injury luck plays a huge part in a team's success. This hasn't changed significantly from the prior format (if anything, there is now a wider window for talented teams blasted by injuries to squeak into the Playoffs).

Sure, I wouldn't dispute injuries are a part of the game no matter how we shake it. I only have ever said, with regard to the subject of the play-ins, that I can empathize with how Heat and Pels fans must feel watching their respective best players go down in these single/double elimination games after a long season.

Would it be better if they had gotten hurt in a Game 1 of a 7-game? Idk maybe? Even then probably only marginally? It might be worth considering though, at least with regard to how a play-in tournament thing can be maximized, and how we're rewarding teams that had fairly successful seasons in actuality.

2. Suggesting that my post anywhere implied that "the sole reason" for underperformance is teams "not trying enough" is a pretty exceptional reading of that post. Low-seeded Playoff teams just have to perform more consistently throughout the season to get a guaranteed slot now; that can be a product of luck, failed planning, or poor execution.

Sure, or injuries. There's plenty of reasons a team might win 47 games instead of 50.

3 games can be the difference between a 6 seed and an 8 seed though, and now the stakes are "be forced to earn your spot in the play-ins."

And in my defense, you did literally say "I really don't feel that bad for low-seeded Playoff teams, the answer is to take the regular season serious and win more games" before acknowledging that time that injuries can happen, so like is it actually a pretty exceptional reading of that statement?

What else is being implied there, then?

3. Minnesota has been in the play-in twice. You can go through my post history, I have never complained about the play-in (because it is a good idea!).

I remember because I'm pretty sure the Lakers have played the Wolves both times? At least once, and it was a fun game for sure!

And I hope the view from up there at the top is great! I really hope the Lakers can get there one day soon so I can enjoy a personally stress free play-in round! lol

I'd like to be clear that as a Lakers fan, I don't feel particularly cheated by how things have worked out this year or anything like that. You can point to the injuries sure, but you can also point to all the underperformance from guys up and down the Lakers roster for a huge chunk of the year before things stabilized as we got into 2024 proper.

Like sure if D'lo doesn't disappear for all of December, if Reaves and Rui don't start so slow (and hurt), if we could have gotten anything out of like Cam Reddish, then maybe they wouldn't have ended up where they are now, but thems the breaks.

4. Given that I watched Jimmy Butler purposefully throw games in Minnesota to force a trade (because Minnesota offered him a five-year max in the following off-season, rather than trading multiple firsts to open cap space for a renegotiation and extension), I would absolutely feel comfortable clowning on Jimmy Butler's competitiveness. Talented player or not, the dude is a goofball.

I mean you would almost certainly know more about whatever happened there with Jimmy and the Wolves than I ever will, but yeah my impression was less that Jimmy wasn't being competitive or a hard worker, than it was about the credible criticism that he was being a goofball for whatever reasons he decided he was going to hate that situation in Minny.

[One_and_Done]

So there's a very weird thing going on here where people are arguing that a team like the Heat just wasn't trying hard enough and THAT'S the sole reason they're in the play-in position they are now.

And it seems to be coming from fans of teams that are higher seeds?

We're talking about Jimmy Butler here, I feel like of all the things he could be credibly criticized for in his career, his competitiveness isn't one of them.

1. Yeah, injury luck plays a huge part in a team's success. This hasn't changed significantly from the prior format (if anything, there is now a wider window for talented teams blasted by injuries to squeak into the Playoffs).

2. Suggesting that my post anywhere implied that "the sole reason" for underperformance is teams "not trying enough" is a pretty exceptional reading of that post. Low-seeded Playoff teams just have to perform more consistently throughout the season to get a guaranteed slot now; that can be a product of luck, failed planning, or poor execution.

3. Minnesota has been in the play-in twice. You can go through my post history, I have never complained about the play-in (because it is a good idea!).

4. Given that I watched Jimmy Butler purposefully throw games in Minnesota to force a trade (because Minnesota offered him a five-year max in the following off-season, rather than trading multiple firsts to open cap space for a renegotiation and extension), I would absolutely feel comfortable clowning on Jimmy Butler's competitiveness. Talented player or not, the dude is a goofball.

Butler's trade request was one of the most ridiculous of all-time, crowned by his claimed desire to go somewhere 'more competetive', then providing a trade list of the 4 NY/LA teams (who were all bad at the time). Utter comedy.

[FarBeyondDriven]

The play-in is great, most of the criticisms against it feel like sour grapes.. It adds real stakes to getting the sixth seed, eighth seed, and tenth seed. Realistically, a seventh/eight/ninth/tenth seed isn't winning a Championship, outside of wildly extenuating circumstances. The lowest seed to ever win a Championship were the repeating 1994-95 Houston Rockets who were only sixth in the Western Conference (47-35) due to a string of mid-season injuries.

I really don't feel that bad for low-seeded Playoff teams, the answer is to take the regular season serious and win more games (sometimes bad injury luck can impact this!). Freak injuries happening during the play-in doesn't change the dynamic at all.

Maybe Heat fans should look at the reason why they have to be in the play-in elimination in the first place rather preparing for the playoffs and start with their franchise player getting paid $184 million who admits he doesn't start playing "for real" until after the all-star break instead of blaming the NBA rules.

Read on Twitter

So there's a very weird thing going on here where people are arguing that a team like the Heat just wasn't trying hard enough and THAT'S the sole reason they're in the play-in position they are now.

And it seems to be coming from fans of teams that are higher seeds?

Like yeah I can totally see why the play-ins would be a fun little lark for fans of teams in the position to wreck them in a 4-5 game series in the first round lmao.

I won't speak for the Heat or that fanbase too much here, they aren't my team and I don't watch enough of them.

I do watch the Lakers though, and I don't think there's any reason to believe they weren't trying their best to win as many games as possible this year. It's not like we saw AD or Bron skipping a ton of games or anything like that. But the Lakers have dealt with injuries all year long, on top of weird bouts of underperformance from critical role pieces.

Sure effort may fluctuate here or there, but on a macro level I guess I just don't really see any reason to believe players on teams that many forecast to be quite competitive wouldn't try to be, y'know, competitive.

And no I'm not really swayed by Jimmy saying he tries harder in the playoffs, because I'm pretty sure that's literally what every player either has said or would say in the same instance.

And it's a completely different statement than, "I'm not trying very hard right now." Actually.

Like this is literally from the article you're linking here:

While Butler may say he’s now “playing for real,” it’s more that he’s finding another gear than just starting to try. Heat fans know that Butler gives a supreme effort night in and night out for his squad, and he’s one of the best two-way players in the NBA.

We're talking about Jimmy Butler here, I feel like of all the things he could be credibly criticized for in his career, his competitiveness isn't one of them.

I couldn't disagree more. He often looks completely disinterested for possessions, quarters, halves, games and series. His numbers are a product of usage and getting a very generous whistle sending him to the FT line. Being on some very talented teams has masked a lot of this. He's had some monster games and the Heat have overachieved so I get why people might think he's "Playoff Jimmy" but if he was really deserving of the label the Heat would have played much better in more of their playoff matchups.

[Mrakar]

I don't want to sound like idiot but years of "cheating" NBA and the fans had to backfire once. Heat cruised for years trough regular season and still made conference finals/finals. One year it had to happend, they were close last year to lose to the Bulls. Maybe they will win but their first round will be hopeless without Butler(same thing for Pels with Zion, if they win, fans will not be excited almost at all since theye know that broom is comming).

[naabzor]

I don’t like the play in but it can be easily avoided by treating the regular season more seriously.

Especially in the East where it’s far less competitive than the West.

How can it be "easily avoided". Someone have to play it anyway, it's not possible for every team to clinch the 6th spot, only 6 teams can the other two have to go in the play in.

More than half the teams make the playoffs. So the 7th to 10th spots mean you are an average team. It can be easily avoided by being an above average team in the regular season. It really is that easy.

The 6th seed shouldn't be that hard to get if you're a good team. The play-in puts more stock into the regular season because the 7th and 8th seed are no longer guaranteed and gives more teams incentive to go for 6th seed up until the last game as we've seen this year. Not every sport you get to play in the playoffs being an average team.

Just cut the po spots to 6 teams per conference, then.

[GrandTheftRondo]

The play-in is great, most of the criticisms against it feel like sour grapes.. It adds real stakes to getting the sixth seed, eighth seed, and tenth seed. Realistically, a seventh/eight/ninth/tenth seed isn't winning a Championship, outside of wildly extenuating circumstances. The lowest seed to ever win a Championship were the repeating 1994-95 Houston Rockets who were only sixth in the Western Conference (47-35) due to a string of mid-season injuries.

I really don't feel that bad for low-seeded Playoff teams, the answer is to take the regular season serious and win more games (sometimes bad injury luck can impact this!). Freak injuries happening during the play-in doesn't change the dynamic at all.

Maybe Heat fans should look at the reason why they have to be in the play-in elimination in the first place rather preparing for the playoffs and start with their franchise player getting paid $184 million who admits he doesn't start playing "for real" until after the all-star break instead of blaming the NBA rules.

Read on Twitter

So there's a very weird thing going on here where people are arguing that a team like the Heat just wasn't trying hard enough and THAT'S the sole reason they're in the play-in position they are now.

And it seems to be coming from fans of teams that are higher seeds?

Like yeah I can totally see why the play-ins would be a fun little lark for fans of teams in the position to wreck them in a 4-5 game series in the first round lmao.

I won't speak for the Heat or that fanbase too much here, they aren't my team and I don't watch enough of them.

I do watch the Lakers though, and I don't think there's any reason to believe they weren't trying their best to win as many games as possible this year. It's not like we saw AD or Bron skipping a ton of games or anything like that. But the Lakers have dealt with injuries all year long, on top of weird bouts of underperformance from critical role pieces.

Sure effort may fluctuate here or there, but on a macro level I guess I just don't really see any reason to believe players on teams that many forecast to be quite competitive wouldn't try to be, y'know, competitive.

And no I'm not really swayed by Jimmy saying he tries harder in the playoffs, because I'm pretty sure that's literally what every player either has said or would say in the same instance.

And it's a completely different statement than, "I'm not trying very hard right now." Actually.

Like this is literally from the article you're linking here:

While Butler may say he’s now “playing for real,” it’s more that he’s finding another gear than just starting to try. Heat fans know that Butler gives a supreme effort night in and night out for his squad, and he’s one of the best two-way players in the NBA.

We're talking about Jimmy Butler here, I feel like of all the things he could be credibly criticized for in his career, his competitiveness isn't one of them.

I couldn't disagree more. He often looks completely disinterested for possessions, quarters, halves, games and series. His numbers are a product of usage and getting a very generous whistle sending him to the FT line. Being on some very talented teams has masked a lot of this. He's had some monster games and the Heat have overachieved so I get why people might think he's "Playoff Jimmy" but if he was really deserving of the label the Heat would have played much better in more of their playoff matchups.

I seriously wonder how much some people bother to watch the Heat.

I’ve lost count of the number of regular season games I’ve watched where Jimmy just stands there doing nothing, content with his teammates doing things.

Then you watch him in a series like Milwaukee last season and he’s involved in everything.

I don’t know if it’s an age and body thing with Butler because he’s obviously really competitive but he picks and chooses when he wants to be locked in.

If they got him going harder in regular season games this year they would have been a top 4 seed with eases