Miami Heat small forward Jimmy Butler has been named to the All-NBA Third Team for the 2020-21 regular season.
2020-21 All-NBA teams:
First: Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Stephen Curry, Luka Doncic, Kawhi Leonard
Second: Chris Paul, Damian Lillard, Joel Embiid, Julius Randle, LeBron James
Third: Kyrie Irving, Bradley Beal, Rudy Gobert, Jimmy Butler, Paul George
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 16, 2021
The honor marks the fourth All-NBA selection of Butler’s career. The other three were also All-NBA Third Team selections, and they came in 2017, 2018 and 2020.
Butler had a stellar year for the Heat this past regular season. He averaged 21.5 points, 6.9 rebounds, 7.1 assists and a league-best 2.1 steals per game. It was also one of the most efficient seasons of his career, as he shot the ball at a 49.7 percent clip from the field.
The Heat took a disappointing first-round exit from the 2021 NBA Playoffs, but it’s looking more and more like Miami may have simply run into a buzzsaw in the Milwaukee Bucks.
Regardless, it was a frustrating way for the team’s rocky season to end. Many fans had higher expectations after Miami’s run to the NBA Finals last season.
Butler’s contract will keep him in Miami for at least one more year. He may very well find himself playing with a new-look Heat team next season, as a handful of key players from the 2020-21 season either have club options or are set to hit free agency.
With any luck, the team should be able to find success in the 2021-22 campaign.
