Dave Hyde: Pat Riley tells Jimmy Butler to shut up and shape up — now what?
MIAMI — This was Pat Riley at his finest. There was a question about Jimmy Butler in the Miami Heat president’s annual postseason talk Monday — another question about Jimmy Butler, that is.
This entire Heat offseason will be one question about Butler’s future followed by one about his attitude followed by another of contract extension and yet another of his trade value. This question was about Butler’s words.
Butler did an interview after the Heat were trounced without him in the series by Boston and said: “If I was playing, Boston would be at home. New York for damn sure would be” home. Riley was asked simply if the Heat would have won with Butler on the court.
That hypothetical wasn’t the issue as the Riley saw it. Being a pro was the issue.
“For him to say that, I thought, ‘Is that Jimmy trolling or is that Jimmy being serious?’ ” Riley said. “If you’re not on the court playing against Boston, or playing against the New York Knicks, you should keep your mouth shut.”
Yes, shots were fired Monday by Riley in his annual postseason State of the Heat talk. You bet they were. This is how you know there’s leadership and standards inside a business. This is what separates the Heat from most sports organizations, too: Riley has the championship rings to back up his thoughts.
He was asked, for instance, about the pressure most teams feel in signing a player like Butler to an extension when he’s eligible, as Butler is in July. The extension would turn the remaining two-year, $110 million on Butler’s deal into a three-year, $160 million contract.
“There’s no pressure,’’ Riley said. “The last extension, we gave it to him.”
He said that it’s a “big decision” for any franchise, “unless you have someone who is going to be there, available, every single night.”
Do you see the issue here? Heat Culture is about playing the regular season hard. Jimmy hasn’t played more than 64 games in the regular season his five Heat years. He played 60 this past season. He needed a break three games into the season. He watched tennis for eight hours one day and called in sick the next.
The Heat’s top core of Butler, Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro played just 19 games together. The Heat finished eighth in the East — four games behind the second-place Knicks. See why this matters? See why the play-in game and opening series against Boston was avoidable?
The central question: Will Butler change? It’s not just that he’s 35 next season. It’s that from his view he’s led the Heat to the NBA Finals twice and conference finals three times in his five years. All might look good to him.
So, the instant option is a trade, though Riley echoed coach Erik Spoelstra in saying that wasn’t going to happen. Maybe it doesn’t considering the investment a team would have to make in Butler as time starts to take a toll. Or maybe they’re just saying what they have to say to not crush any trade value.
Butler, of course, isn’t the only NBA player to say the regular season is meaningless. Shaquille O’Neal did so back when he played with the Heat.
Riley, of course, famously challenged O’Neal to a fight at a practice. That’s part of why the Heat likes to say, “We’re not for everyone.” Riley also famously called out LeBron James in this same postseason after the 2014-15 season about how, “this stuff is hard,” and to “stay if he has the guts.”
LeBron didn’t like that. Jimmy won’t like this. It’s a clash of eras in some form, as Riley doesn’t understand things like the 65-game rule the NBA passed as a minimum to make player eligible for postseason awards. That gives them an excuse not to play 17 games, he feels.
Riley was asked if he’ll talk to Butler about playing more games
“That was discussed prior to last year,’’ he said. “We had a discussion with his agent about that. That was discussed thoroughly.”
Something didn’t translate.
This will end where it has to with the Heat trying to trade Butler. Don’t read that wrong. They aren’t going to tank-for-tomorrow like the Dolphins did. They won’t do like the Marlins and trade players at the start of a season to build their minor leagues.
“Our organization is not about rebuilding,’’ Riley said. “I’ll never use that word. We retool as needed to try to make it better.”
They’ll retool this offseason. Riley told of meeting LeBron for his postseason interview after their first season together that ended with a loss in the Finals. LeBron, remember, collapsed in the final games against Dallas. There’s no other way to put it.
LeBron interrupted Riley’s meeting with Chris Bosh that ran late. He and Riley stared at each other. Finally, Riley said, “I have to go to work on the roster to make it deeper.”
He needs to do that now. Spoelstra needs to make a bottom-third offense score more. But the main thing is Butler. Will he change? Can he play more? At 35, 36 and 37, will he still be a postseason force?
One thing for sure is Riley, as strong leaders do, gave him some thing to think about: Shut up and shape up.