Podcast: #JiMVP reinvigorates this Heat season. And what Miami’s getting in Trevor Ariza
The Heat Check podcast might not have come up with the clever hashtag, but we’ve been making the case for Jimmy Butler as an MVP candidate for more than a month. This week, it officially became a movement.
The Miami Heat has won 11 of 13 since Butler returned from a COVID-19 absence to climb into the top four in the Eastern Conference and reassert its playoff bonafides. Along the way, Butler’s case to be a contender for the NBA Most Valuable Player Award went from being a fun Twitter goof to something everyone needs to start taking seriously — even after the forward missed out on a trip to the 2021 NBA All-Star Game.
David Wilson and Anthony Chiang, the Heat beat writer for the Miami Herald, heap praise upon the 31-year-old star, even with the Heat’s 89-85 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday in Memphis. Butler has made this season fun again, but we’re still waiting to see how this Miami group stacks up against the Philadelphia 76ers, Brooklyn Nets and the East’s other top teams.
The trade deadline is also a week away and we had some breaking news Wednesday, as the Heat sent post player Meyers Leonard and future second-round pick to the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for wing Trevor Ariza. Our live reaction breaks down what the wing is bringing to Miami — from his defensive pedigree to his underrated ability as a three-point shooter — and whether the Heat might do anything else before next Thursday.
Finally, we wrap things up by taking some listener questions about what has happened to rookie forward Precious Achiuwa and what comes next for small forward KZ Okpala after he worked his way into the rotation.
Keep those questions coming for Chiang. You can hit him up on Twitter at @Anthony_Chiang and be sure to keep subscribing, rating and reviewing as the second half of the 2020-21 NBA season chugs along, and the games become even more meaningful.
This story was originally published March 18, 2021 at 7:00 AM.
