It didn’t take long for Miami Heat newcomer Maurice Harkless to notice one element of the Jimmy Butler experience.
“You hear his voice constantly,” he said.
That, coach Erik Spoelstra said, is pretty much the same as it ever was since Butler arrived in the 2019 offseason.
“It’s not that much different,” Spoelstra said, as the Heat continued training camp at AmericanAirlines Arena. “It’s not like Jimmy was quiet last year coming in. He’s a loud guy and he’s going to make his presence known whenever he’s in the gym, particularly when you get in any kind of setting where it’s competitive.
“He feels very comfortable in his role and what he brings to the table and he’s continuing to develop his leadership skills. It was on display for all the new guys. But all of us that have gotten to know him over the course of the year, it was pretty familiar to us.”
For those unfamiliar, there was a crash course.
“Jimmy got on me the first day, a couple of times, because I didn’t know the same play or whatever it may be,” camp hopeful B.J. Johnson said. “But that’s just like the culture they have here. Someone like me, I do well with constructive criticism and people being on you.”
Center Bam Adebayo, though, has other thoughts about the biggest voice in camp.
“No,” he said, “it’s me.”
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Butler said during an ESPN interview he doesn’t necessarily disagree with those picking against the Heat this season, even after the run to the NBA Finals.
“I don’t have to look at any media outlet to know that you’ve got some really good players that are much better than I am coming back,” he said, then citing Keven Durant, Kyrie Irvin and Stephen Curry, among others.
“A lot of guys that were out are coming back, so I’d pick those guys over me, too. Those guys over me? Yes, I would.”
As for the quick turnaround from a Heat season that ended on Oct. 11, Butler said, “I think everybody’s going to be a little bit tired. We’re at the same disadvantage everybody else is at. And, like I always say, nobody cares, nobody’s picking us anyway. So tired or not tired, we’ve still got a job to do.”
