Jimmy Butler is playing in his second NBA Finals in four years since leaving the Philadelphia 76ers after the 2019 season. Butler has exacted revenge on the Sixers by defeating them in the Eastern Conference semifinals in 2022.
With the Miami Heat facing challenges, Butler has embraced the underdog role. As the eighth seed, the Heat has been considered the underdog in every series, including against the Philadelphia 76ers, according to Pennsylvania online sportsbooks. However, this underdog status poses no problem for Butler.
In what may appear, on paper, to be an uneven NBA Finals matchup, the series features two players with Pennsylvania connections.
The Sixers made an error letting Jimmy Butler move
Butler is leading one of the most improbable runs to the NBA Finals in history. The Miami Heat lost their first play-in game against the Hawks and were just three minutes away from elimination. Miami is only the second-ever eighth seed to reach the NBA Finals.
Despite not having flashy numbers, Butler is undeniably one of the best players in the NBA. He has a career average of 18.2 points per game in the regular season, but has averaged 22.9 points since joining Miami in 2019.
In the playoffs, Butler takes his game to another level. He has improved his postseason average to 25 points per game since joining the Heat. In this playoff run, he is averaging 28.5 points. He has had four games with 35 or more points, including victories over the top-seeded Bucks and the Celtics.
In an ESPN interview after the conference finals, Butler stated:
“I play for Mr. O’Brien… You can have the All-Stars… You can have the All-NBA. All defensive teams, don’t care. I really only want to win a championship.”
Butler’s mental toughness is what the Sixers have been lacking. The Sixers haven’t made it past the Eastern Conference semifinals since 2001, and their lack of mental fortitude has been a contributing factor. It was their downfall against Butler’s Heat in 2022 and against the Celtics this season.
Butler certainly hasn’t forgotten the Sixers moving on from him. When the Heat defeated the Sixers in 2022, cameras in the tunnel caught Butler shouting, “Tobias Harris over me?”
While Butler enjoys another Finals appearance, Sixers fans won’t forget what could have been.
Pennsylvania connections in the 2023 NBA Titles
Butler is the first Pennsylvania tie to the NBA Finals, having played 55 games for the Sixers in the 2018-19 season. Although his time with the Sixers was brief, it was considered their best opportunity to win the title before losing to the Toronto Raptors on Kawhi Leonard’s four-bounce buzzer-beater in Game 7.
Kyle Lowry, who was on the floor when Leonard hit the shot, is now seeking his second ring with Butler and the Heat. Lowry plays a supporting role to Butler and has only started in one of Miami’s 18 playoff games.
Lowry, a point guard, is one of the most accomplished players to come out of the Philadelphia area. He attended Northeast High School and Cardinal Dougherty in Philadelphia, and played for Jay Wright at Villanova. At 37 years old, Lowry is a six-time All-Star with an NBA championship on his resume. Another accolade could secure his place in the Basketball Hall of Fame.
While you won’t see him in uniform, former Villanova guard Collin Gillespie appears on the Denver Nuggets’ roster. Gillespie signed with the Nuggets as an undrafted free agent but fractured his right leg in July while assisting Villanova during practice. Gillespie is from Northeast Philadelphia and attended Archbishop Wood High School. Like Lowry, Gillespie carried on his profession at Villanova, where this individual became one of the better players within program background:
- Nationwide Champion (2018)
- Final 4 appearance (2022)
- Big Eastern Player in the Year (2x)
- All-Big Eastern (3x)
- Large East Competition MVP (2022)
- Bob Cousy Award (2022, Nation’ t Top Stage Guard)
Gillespie has been spotted within the Nuggets’ along with most of the time of year, including the playoffs. Hopefully, Gillespie is healthy next time of year to play for that Western Meeting champions.
Sixers hire brand new coach Chip Nurse
In connection to Leonard’s famous buzzer-beater, the Sixers decided to hire former Raptors coach Nick Nurse. Nurse had opportunities in Phoenix and Milwaukee but expressed interest in coaching MVP Joel Embiid.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Nurse’s desire to coach Embiid and his relationship with Sixers President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey played a significant role in the decision to commit to a deal with Philadelphia. Nurse stood out in the interview process by presenting a vision centered around Embiid.
Nurse has experience coaching stars and a championship pedigree. He has also been one of the most successful coaches in containing Embiid. In 19 regular-season games, Embiid averaged 28.6 points per game against Nurse’s teams. In 13 playoff games, Nurse has limited Embiid to 21.9 points per contest.
Having a coach who has schemed against the Sixers’ best player more than most coaches in the league will undoubtedly be beneficial.
Corey Sharp is a Lead Copywriter at PlayPennsylvania bringing you complete coverage regarding sports betting and even gambling inside Pennsylvania. Corey is a 4-for-4 Philly fan of sports and in the past worked to be a writer and even editor to the Philadelphia Inquirer and NBC Sports Phila..
