WEBVTT - EPISODE 29: The most underrated player in the NBA

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<v Speaker 1>Welcome to this league uncut rule of twenty four hour

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<v Speaker 1>NBA News. This's you lo Chris Haines. It's so time, Markstein,

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<v Speaker 1>It's so time. This league uncut is underway and on fire.

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<v Speaker 1>This should be a good one.

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<v Speaker 2>Hello friends, welcome to another audio dispatch solo. Mark Stein

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<v Speaker 2>speaking to you here. Had to be done, had to

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<v Speaker 2>get out the microphone, had to get out the recording apparatus.

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<v Speaker 2>After what we witness Monday night, Jimmy Butler, people slamming

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<v Speaker 2>home yet again that he is the most underrated player

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<v Speaker 2>in the NBA, certainly the most underrated star. This is

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<v Speaker 2>how we used to talk about Drew Holiday, but it's

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<v Speaker 2>Butler now underrated, underappreciated. We simply do not speak enough

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<v Speaker 2>about how world class this guy is, what a winning

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<v Speaker 2>player he is. Butler had twenty two points in the

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<v Speaker 2>first quarter Monday night against Holiday's Bucks. He had twenty

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<v Speaker 2>one in the fourth. He finished with fifty six, tying

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<v Speaker 2>for the fourth highest scoring output ever in an NBA game.

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<v Speaker 2>Even afterwards, though, I found myself arguing with one of

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<v Speaker 2>the smartest basketball people I know, who shall remain nameless.

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<v Speaker 2>But the gist of the convo I can share that

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<v Speaker 2>and basically it's me arguing with him that I have

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<v Speaker 2>considered Jimmy Butler to be a top ten player in

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<v Speaker 2>the NBA since the Bubble in Orlando. I wrote this

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<v Speaker 2>in The New York Times in October of twenty twenty,

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<v Speaker 2>after Jimmy Butler powered Miami to the finals, and remember

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<v Speaker 2>they took the Lakers to six games, even though along

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<v Speaker 2>the way injuries hampered both bam Adebayo and Goran Dragic.

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<v Speaker 2>My piece in the New York Times at the time

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<v Speaker 2>it was all about how one of the lasting, most

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<v Speaker 2>important takeaways from the Bubble had to be how Butler

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<v Speaker 2>enhanced his reputation more than any other player in the league.

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<v Speaker 2>To me, he had proven that he was a top

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<v Speaker 2>ten player in this league. Still though there are so

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<v Speaker 2>many people all over the NBA map who refused to

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<v Speaker 2>see it that way, including the person I was arguing

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<v Speaker 2>with after this Butler master piece. It's amazing to me

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<v Speaker 2>how often this kind of pushback still comes up. And

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<v Speaker 2>let me tell you something, coaches in the Eastern Conference

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<v Speaker 2>have proven that they are no smarter. Because this is

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<v Speaker 2>gonna go down. This season will be recorded as the

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<v Speaker 2>second season already in Jimmy's career, the second in which

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<v Speaker 2>he was ridiculously snubbed from the All Star Game by

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<v Speaker 2>East coaches and then goes on to earn All NBA status. Now, no,

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<v Speaker 2>I do not have a secret copy of the final

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<v Speaker 2>official All NBA Teams, but trust me, Butler's going to

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<v Speaker 2>be on there.

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<v Speaker 3>He's earning.

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<v Speaker 2>All NBA status this season, and again it's gonna be

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<v Speaker 2>the second time he does so. And look, Butler would

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<v Speaker 2>be the first to tell you his day to day personality.

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<v Speaker 2>It's a lot for some people. That's one of Jimmy's

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<v Speaker 2>pet phrases.

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<v Speaker 3>I'm a lot.

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<v Speaker 2>Headstrong is the polite adjective you hear. Confrontational is the

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<v Speaker 2>adjective that gets thrown around much more frequently.

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<v Speaker 3>That's the one.

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<v Speaker 2>You know, he's a confrontational guy. We've heard that throughout

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<v Speaker 2>Butler's career. But the Heat know how to handle it,

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<v Speaker 2>and they're thriving with Butler as the center of their

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<v Speaker 2>universe for the fourth successive season, and this season, at

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<v Speaker 2>age thirty three, Butler shot a career best fifty three

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<v Speaker 2>point seven percent from the field. He's shooting nearly sixty

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<v Speaker 2>three percent from the floor. Against the Bucks in this series,

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<v Speaker 2>averaging thirty six point five points a game, and Butler

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<v Speaker 2>more than anyone. He's the guy who has steered Miami,

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<v Speaker 2>the number eight seed in the East, to a three

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<v Speaker 2>to one lead entering Wednesday's pivotal.

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<v Speaker 3>Game five in Milwaukee.

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<v Speaker 2>What historically does Jimmy not do well? Apart from shooting

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<v Speaker 2>the three. He's an elite two way player, top shelf

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<v Speaker 2>playmaker for himself and teammates. Now, I know that was

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<v Speaker 2>also a criticism at various points in his career that

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<v Speaker 2>he's not he's too unselfish on offense. It doesn't look

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<v Speaker 2>to take over games. Try tell him that to the

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<v Speaker 2>Bucks right now, who are on the brink of their

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<v Speaker 2>season ending. You know, Jimmy sure look pretty aggressive when

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<v Speaker 2>it mattered most. He just makes winning plays, gets to

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<v Speaker 2>the line, makes his free throws fifteen for eighteen at

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<v Speaker 2>the line in Game four, and just look at his

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<v Speaker 2>time with the Heat. They made the finals in the Bubble.

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<v Speaker 2>They were one shot away from making it back to

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<v Speaker 2>the finals last season. Yes, bus, yes, Jimmy missed the

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<v Speaker 2>decisive three, But I think we know that that's not

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<v Speaker 2>his strong suit and it's probably not the shot he

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<v Speaker 2>wanted to take, but he knew it was the right shot,

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<v Speaker 2>and that moment took it missed it. Okay, they were

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<v Speaker 2>a shot away from getting back to the finals last season,

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<v Speaker 2>but now they're on the brink of becoming just the

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<v Speaker 2>sixth number eight seed in NBA history to upset a

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<v Speaker 2>number one seed. I'll tell you this much, I know

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<v Speaker 2>where to turn when I do want to find support

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<v Speaker 2>for my assertion that Butler's one of the ten best

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<v Speaker 2>players in the league. I know where to go.

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<v Speaker 3>You go to his peers. That's who.

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<v Speaker 2>One of my absolute favorite memories from the bubble, I

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<v Speaker 2>had the chance to sit down with Jimmy for about

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<v Speaker 2>an hour one day. In the hallway of Disney World,

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<v Speaker 2>there was one hallway where reporters could mingle with players

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<v Speaker 2>and coaches and team people. This is remembered during the

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<v Speaker 2>height of cod restrictions, but there was one hallway where

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<v Speaker 2>reporters were allowed to be at the Coronado Springs resort,

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<v Speaker 2>and players had to go through there, getting to meal rooms,

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<v Speaker 2>getting to practice courts, going back to their hotel. It

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<v Speaker 2>was an area that they couldn't avoid us and that

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<v Speaker 2>we were allowed to be, So of course I love

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<v Speaker 2>to hang out there. Chris Mannox of Sports Illustrated he

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<v Speaker 2>did the same. We were constantly bumping into each other

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<v Speaker 2>because we knew that was a great place to see people.

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<v Speaker 2>And so during this sit down with Jimmy, it just

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<v Speaker 2>it was amazing to me how many players from different

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<v Speaker 2>teams stopped along the way to pay their respects. Wes

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<v Speaker 2>Matthews and Pat Connaton from the Bucks, a slew of

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<v Speaker 2>Lakers came by to basically show their respect to Jimmy.

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<v Speaker 2>Rajon Rondo stayed for a while they were teammates in Milwaukee.

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<v Speaker 2>They loved rehashing the series in twenty seventeen when they

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<v Speaker 2>took a two zero lead over Boston in Boston and

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<v Speaker 2>then Rondo suffered the hand injury, and you know, they

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<v Speaker 2>remained convinced to this day that they win that series

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<v Speaker 2>if not for Rondo's injury. Brad Stevens was then the

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<v Speaker 2>Celtics coach. He made sure that Jimmy heard him say

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<v Speaker 2>hello as he passed by. And then I remember Robin

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<v Speaker 2>Lopez then he was a former teammate of Jimmy's in Chicago.

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<v Speaker 2>He was with Milwaukee at the time. He was the

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<v Speaker 2>last in this slew of players to come by and

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<v Speaker 2>say hello. And then as he walked away, Robin turned

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<v Speaker 2>to me and he pointed at Butler.

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<v Speaker 3>And he said, this man is a treasure.

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<v Speaker 2>And I really feel that a lot of NBA players

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<v Speaker 2>see it that exact same way. You see the ongoing

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<v Speaker 2>love fest between Joel Embiid and Jimmy Butler after their

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<v Speaker 2>brief stint as teammates. They're always talking about each other.

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<v Speaker 2>Would not surprise me in the least if.

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<v Speaker 3>We see those guys.

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<v Speaker 2>Hook up together again in the future.

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<v Speaker 3>They're that fond of each other.

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<v Speaker 2>If there's a way it's gonna happen that they end

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<v Speaker 2>up on the same team again, I don't know if

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<v Speaker 2>that's probably not gonna happen in Philly, don't know if

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<v Speaker 2>it's possible in Miami. Certainly don't know how it's possible

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<v Speaker 2>in this new CBA world, but I'm sure they would

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<v Speaker 2>both love to make it happen. So many pros they

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<v Speaker 2>all saw it the same way as I did back

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<v Speaker 2>in twenty twenty in the bubble, and we're seeing an

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<v Speaker 2>even higher level of brilliance now in this series this spring.

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<v Speaker 2>Fifty six points again in Game four on nineteen for

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<v Speaker 2>twenty eight shooting.

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<v Speaker 3>He only needed twenty eight.

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<v Speaker 2>Shots to score those fifty six points, and he did

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<v Speaker 2>it on the night Janis Antetokounmpo made his return to

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<v Speaker 2>the Bucks. We can't overlook this point either. Obviously Miami's

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<v Speaker 2>three to one lead. Do they have a three to

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<v Speaker 2>one lead if Yannis plays more than eleven minutes in

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<v Speaker 2>the first three games of the series. Certainly that's a factor.

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<v Speaker 2>That Jannis could only play those eleven minutes in Game one,

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<v Speaker 2>missed two games with the back injury, comes back with

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<v Speaker 2>the triple double in game four. But saying all that,

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<v Speaker 2>I mean Jimmy eclipse the triple double with what he

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<v Speaker 2>did last night, and he's doing all this without Tyler

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<v Speaker 2>Hero at his side. Heroes out for at least six

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<v Speaker 2>weeks with a broken hand. And if you're not sure

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<v Speaker 2>how big miss that is for Miami, let's not forget

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<v Speaker 2>that no team in the regular season struggle to score

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<v Speaker 2>as much as this Heat team. When I think back

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<v Speaker 2>to that sit down three years ago in the bubble,

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<v Speaker 2>and yes, of course he did. Jimmy Butler had a

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<v Speaker 2>cup of big rass coffee in his hand. He said, quote,

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<v Speaker 2>believe me when I tell you that I do not

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<v Speaker 2>care what people say about me. I truly don't care.

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<v Speaker 3>End quote.

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<v Speaker 2>Believe this, Jimmy Buckets. We're going to talk about you

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<v Speaker 2>today and tomorrow. It looks like we're going to be

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<v Speaker 2>talking about you longer than anyone imagined in this postseason.

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<v Speaker 3>If the Heat can just manufacture.

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<v Speaker 2>That one more win, they need to knock out the

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<v Speaker 2>closest thing to a consensus favorite to win it all

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<v Speaker 2>in Round one of these playoffs, or at least I'm

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<v Speaker 2>gonna talk about you, whether you like it or not,

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<v Speaker 2>because I think you are the most underrated player, certainly

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<v Speaker 2>the most underrated star.

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<v Speaker 3>In the entire NBA, no matter what you think, Jimmy Buckets.

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<v Speaker 2>All right, everyone, that does it for me. Thanks for

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<v Speaker 2>listening and to hear more from me. Please check out

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<v Speaker 2>the next episode or past episodes of This League Uncut

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<v Speaker 2>are twice weekly podcast which I am honored to do

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<v Speaker 2>alongside Chris Haynes of Turner Sports. Please rate, and review

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<v Speaker 2>please subscribe to my substack the Steinline as well.

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<v Speaker 3>We'll talk soon, everybody, and that'll do it for us.

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<v Speaker 1>See you next time. This League Uncut is and iHeartRadio Production,

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<v Speaker 1>don't sake a look up Christine's and Marks time