MIAMI _ They have a dominant player in Jimmy Butler, but not necessarily a dominating scorer, with seven players averaging in double figures.
That, NBA Hall of Fame guard and current NBA TV analyst Isiah Thomas said, is what makes this season's Miami Heat so refreshing.
"Don't you get the feeling that they're not playing for numbers?" the former Detroit Pistons icon said during a recent appearance on NBA TV. "They're one of the few teams in the NBA that I don't see playing individually for their stats or for their numbers.
"I don't see any of their guys grabbing the stat sheet saying, 'Ooh, I wonder how many assists I got, how many rebounds I got?' I think they're really playing collectively to try to win basketball games, and that's all that really matters to them."
That, in part, had the Heat taking a perfect home record and 17-6 overall mark into Tuesday night's game against the Atlanta Hawks at AmericanAirlines Arena.
Butler has spent most of the season attempting to incorporate his new teammates into ensemble offense, entering Tuesday 14th in the league in assists, ahead of several starting point guards.
"I think that's why he's fitting so well," Thomas said, "and I think he doesn't feel the pressure of the stat sheet, of being the man, 'I have to carry the load.' And, I think, he feels protected in that environment, where they just want to win.
"But, also, I think he's looking around at these young players and he respects (Tyler) Herro, he respects (Kendrick) Nunn. Because I do believe they're competing against him every single day in practice. So there are no easy days for him in practice."
Thomas also addressed what some previously had considered the elephant in the Heat's room, with the Heat making the offseason switch to Bam Adebayo as their full-time starting center in place of Hassan Whiteside, who was dealt in July to the Portland Trail Blazers.
"When you talk about Bam," Thomas said, "I think Bam is a guy that didn't need the basketball, didn't want the basketball. Whiteside, I believe, after the big contract, wanted to live up to the money, wanted to live up to the contract, consequently, started demanding the basketball."
