Jimmy Butler’s play on this sequence is a reminder of what the Philadelphia 76ers might have been

When the definitive historical past of the Course of-Period Philadelphia 76ers is written sometime, there will probably be many moments and selections to revisit. With out the advantage of hindsight but, it is not possible to know which have been essentially the most consequential.

Nevertheless it’s not possible to observe what Jimmy Butler did to the Sixers Tuesday night time within the Miami Heat‘s 120-85 win in Recreation 5 of the Japanese Convention semifinals and never surprise how totally different the NBA may look had the Sixers chosen to retain Butler in the summertime of 2019.

The Sixers had traded for Butler the earlier fall after he’d misplaced religion and mainly snarled his method out of Minnesota within the hopes his aggressive spirit and veteran savvy would assist take their younger famous person duo of Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid to the following degree.

It didn’t go as deliberate, nonetheless. Whereas Butler and Embiid bonded and have remained buddies, Simmons turned disenfranchised by Butler’s taking part in and management type.

Each wanted the ball of their arms, which pitted them towards one another. Finally it bought to the purpose the group felt it wanted to decide on between them, in accordance with crew sources, and it selected Simmons. He was youthful, and on the time, appeared to have a better ceiling. He was additionally nonetheless on a rookie-scale deal, and never due for an enormous free-agent contract. Loads of organizations would’ve achieved the identical.

However that alternative hasn’t aged effectively, each due to how Simmons’ profession has unraveled up to now two years and the way effectively Butler has performed for the Warmth because it invested in him with two separate eight-figure contracts, together with a four-year, $184 million deal final summer time.

“He is a fantastic competitor at his core,” Warmth coach Erik Spoelstra mentioned of Butler, who had a team-high 23 factors Tuesday and held the Sixers to seven factors on 2-of-Eight taking pictures when he was the first defender.

“While you get into a contest, he understands the total deal — that you must do it on each ends. And he is in a position to compete with a ferocity and an extremely steady thoughts. That’s actually distinctive — when it will get the craziest is when he is actually locked in on ensuring that it is strong successful basketball for our crew.”

That ferocity and competitiveness is why Miami was so occupied with Butler as he approached free company that summer time. Whereas different groups fearful about how his physique may age or whether or not his flamable persona would play inside their organizational cultures, the Warmth noticed an ideal match for his or her type and have been rewarded for his or her perception with a Finals look in 2020 and the highest seed within the Japanese Convention this season.

On this sequence, Butler has paid off Miami’s religion in him together with his traditional two-way brilliance. He added playmaking tasks with level guard Kyle Lowry fighting a hamstring issue and lacking three of the 5 video games.

In line with ESPN Stats & Info, Butler’s 23 factors, 9 rebounds and 6 assists was his 10th playoff recreation with 20 factors, 5 rebounds and 5 assists with the Warmth. He is the third participant in Warmth historical past to achieve the overall behind LeBron James (47) & Dwyane Wade (43).

Solely Embiid can communicate to what it is like competing and falling behind 3-2 on this best-of-seven sequence to Butler and the Warmth, understanding if an alternate set of selections had been made in 2019, Butler might nonetheless be his teammate.

He has hardly ever addressed it publicly, however final fall, after a report that Simmons felt his partnership with Embiid had run its course, the Sixers star did admit to being pissed off and regretful of the choice to let Butler go:

“We removed Jimmy — which I nonetheless assume it was a mistake — simply to ensure [Simmons] wanted the ball in his arms,” Embiid mentioned final September. “That is the choice they made. Like I mentioned, it’s stunning.”

However with the Sixers now dealing with elimination and the potential for losing one other yr of Embiid’s prime, it is a query that hangs over each the sequence and the group.

How totally different would the NBA look if the Sixers had chosen Butler over Simmons? Might they’ve simply saved each after a gut-wrenching Recreation 7 loss to Toronto and compelled them to coexist?

Embiid and Butler have stayed shut and speak frequently. They make no secret of it on social media, or on the report. In an interview with ESPN in December 2020, Embiid mentioned he and Butler watch and critique one another’s video games and performances.

“He was all the time telling me to be extra aggressive,” Embiid mentioned. “At instances, when every little thing wasn’t going proper and I wasn’t getting the ball, he would name me and be like, ‘You’re the finest participant. That you must be aggressive. You guys will not be going to win in case you are not aggressive.’

“‘That you must need the ball, it’s worthwhile to command it, and they should give it to you. That is simply the mentality that you just bought to have. You have to lead these guys.'”

It was precisely the message Embiid wanted to listen to as he advanced into an MVP candidate in 2021 and once more this season.

However as a substitute of delivering that sort of message to him on the bench or within the locker room on this sequence, Butler has been delivering the hammer for the Warmth.

“I speak to Jo on daily basis. Even earlier than this sequence, that is my man. That is a brother to me,” Butler mentioned of Embiid. “It is a privilege to play towards him. Clearly, to be on the identical crew with him, as I used to be up to now, however rattling you need to have the ability to play towards the most effective, and have a chance to beat the most effective. And maintain that over each other’s head for years to return. However after basketball, that is nonetheless going to be my man.”