The availability of Jimmy Butler is one of the major questions hanging over Friday night’s game between the host Miami Heat and the Toronto Raptors.
Butler, a six-time All-Star, is Miami’s spiritual leader and best all-around player. However, he left Wednesday’s win over the Charlotte Hornets due to a back injury and is listed as probable for the upcoming matchup.
At 35, Butler is averaging 18.4 points per game, which is two points lower than last season and four points lower than the previous campaign. This downward trend is not something Miami wants to see.
If Butler is unable to play on Friday, Tyler Herro will become even more crucial for the Heat. Herro, who turns 25 in January, is having a career year, averaging a team-high 23.6 points and leading the team in assists with 5.1 per game. Both of these are career highs for the sixth-year pro, who is trending toward his first All-Star season.
In Butler’s absence, the Heat will also need more scoring from Bam Adebayo (15.9 points per game) and Terry Rozier (12.8 points per game). Both will likely need to step up if the Heat (8-8) hope to improve their record above .500. Friday’s game is part of the NBA Cup. Miami (1-2) and Toronto (0-2) are likely out of contention in the Eastern Conference’s Group B, with Milwaukee (3-0) and Detroit (2-0) in better positions.
The season has been a struggle for the Raptors overall. They are 5-14 and have a dismal 1-10 road record. However, they are coming off their only road win of the season, a 119-93 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday.
Toronto made 21 three-pointers on Wednesday, their most since January 2021. Before that game, the Raptors were last in the NBA, averaging just 10.4 three-pointers per game.
Jalen Suggs, 23, has been an unexpected success story. Having played for three colleges (George Washington, Minnesota, and Ohio State), he went undrafted but is now making significant contributions. This is important for the Raptors, who have key players on the injured list, including Immanuel Quickley (elbow), Gradey Dick (calf), Bruce Brown (knee), and Kelly Olynyk (back).
Brown, who played for the University of Miami, and Olynyk, a former Heat player, have yet to play this season but were consistent starters for Toronto last year.
Dick has started all 17 games he has played for Toronto this season, averaging 18.1 points. Quickley has started all three of his games, averaging 15.3 points.
This leaves Toronto with two healthy starting stars: Scottie Barnes and RJ Barrett. Barnes leads the team in assists (6.4) and ranks second in scoring (20.0) and rebounds (8.4). Barrett is the team’s leading scorer, averaging 22.8 points, and ranks second in assists with 6.3.
