Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Opener echoes altering realities for Butler, Giannis
MIAMI — The story of the Milwaukee Bucks’ 4-0 sweep of the Miami Heat in the first round of last season’s playoffs essentially was that Giannis Antetokounmpo had his way and Jimmy Butler didn’t.
On the eve of the teams’ meeting Thursday night at FTX Arena in the Heat’s season opener, coach Erik Spoelstra said he expects one element to change, but makes no guarantee about the other.
With Kyle Lowry now alongside Butler after being signed away from the Toronto Raptors in free agency, Spoelstra said after Wednesday’s practice that a degree of pressure should be alleviated, after Butler averaged just 14.5 points on .297 shooting in last season’s playoffs.
“Just another super-high-IQ quarterback that can deliver the ball in a lot of different way to those guys, whether they’re on the move or in our system, or the ones that I love are these random ones,” Spoelstra said of Lowry’s playmaking. “Jimmy is really a good recipient in those situations, and Kyle is good in delivering in all those ways.”
As for changing things up against Antetokounmpo, Spoelstra said there are limits. Antetokounmpo averaged 23.5 points, 15 rebounds and 7.8 assists in those four games.
“As a player, he’s seen every coverage,” Spoelstra said. “He’s seen all the different ways you can defend, like all the great players in this league continue to evolve.
“You have to be who you are, so we’re really trying to establish our defensive identity. We want to be one of the better defensive teams in this league, and we’re going to have different kinds of challenges, night in and night out. This one is a challenge with a really good team and system, and it’s not just Giannis.”
Return to normalcy
Last year’s opener was devoid of fans, with attendance gradually increased during the season. Spoelstra said now there is a more typical anticipation for opening night.
“It’s been a crazy two years,” he said of the pandemic, “so I think everybody’s just kind of looking forward to getting after a season where it feels like it used to be.”
While the NBA is requiring vaccination or negative COVID tests for fans within 15 feet of the court, the only requirement for entry otherwise is the wearing of a mask other than while eating or drinking.
With the Heat meeting vaccination thresholds, it also means greater unity within, unlike last season’s social distancing that had some displaced from the locker room.
“It’s always good to be able to see what everybody is doing and how they’re feeling,” Butler said. “You don’t got to worry about walking into a separate locker room if somebody got their head down or something like that. Everybody’s right there.
“Everybody’s together, which is always a good thing. Because as much time we spend, you definitely want to able to spend it together in the locker room, talk about the coaches.”
Injury report
The only player listed on Heat injury report for Thursday is Victor Oladipo, who is out due to what is being listed as “Right Knee; Injury Recovery” in the wake of his May quadriceps surgery.
For the Bucks, it looks like Jrue Holiday will play, listed as probable after injuring his right heel in Tuesday night’s victory over the visiting Brooklyn Nets. Out for Milwaukee are Donte DiVincenzo (ankle), Rodney Hood (foot), Semi Ojeleye (calf ) and Bobby Portis (hamstring).
Trending up
In the wake of a breakout preseason, Heat guard Tyler Herro at BetOnLine has gone from 25-to-1 odds in August for the 2022 NBA Sixth Man Award to a current 5-to-1 line. That puts him as the second shortest odds, behind only Minnesota’s Jordan Clarkson, the defending winner, who is listed at 9-to-2.
As for other awards, Spoelstra is tied for fourth-shortest odds for Coach of the Year at 12-to1, with Bam Adebayo with the seventh-shortest odds for Defensive Player of the Year at 14-to-1.