Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra wants his team to realize the recent Jimmy Butler drama is just another day in the NBA.
Butler, who reportedly has requested a trade out of Miami, was suspended for two games Wednesday for missing a team flight. It’s his second team suspension of the season, the first lasting seven games for conduct detrimental to the team.
The 35-year-old Butler will not play in Miami’s two-game road trip to the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday and Brooklyn Nets on Saturday. Spoelstra spoke to reporters following the Heat’s game-day shootaround in Milwaukee.
“The point that I made to our team is get used to it,” Spoelstra said. “Get over it. This is the NBA life; this is the life we chose. If you think it’s going to be predictable, you’re really mistaken.”
The reasoning given for Butler’s first suspension was that, “through his actions and statements, he has shown he no longer wants to be part of this team.”
The Heat said at the time they would begin listening to offers for the disgruntled star forward. The National Basketball Players Association said it would appeal Butler’s seven-game ban, though he wound up serving the entire suspension.
Butler returned Jan. 17 and played in three Heat home games. Then, he missed the team’s flight to Milwaukee on Wednesday and ESPN reported he had planned to meet up with the team on the road.
That didn’t fly with team brass.
Spoelstra and Bam Adebayo had spoken during the initial suspension about guiding the team through the distraction of Butler’s trade request. So the Heat are ready to play without Butler again.
“It takes a mental fortitude and commitment in terms of the task at hand,” Spoelstra said Thursday. “Nothing changes in terms of the task at hand. We have a game tonight, we have enough continuity, we know what our identity is at this point. You can make any excuse you want to, but we get to do what we love.
“We’ve had this happen all season long, so we know the exercise and what we need to do to make those adjustments.”
Tyler Herro told reporters there was “not much to talk about” with the latest Butler development.
“It’s probably not the easiest to work with someone who’s going to be in and out in any job,” Herro said. “We love Jimmy; we’d love for him to be here. I love Jimmy.”
–Field Level Media
