Does Jimmy Butler Have Enough Left To Lead Miami Heat Without Damian Lillard?

Jimmy Butler turns 34 next month before beginning 13th season in the NBA

Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler is no longer the player who could consistently play 40-45 minutes. 

The Heat started to get careful with his playing time last season, offering some maintenance opportunities (he missed 18 games). Butler turns 34 next month before entering his 13th NBA season. 

The days of carrying the load are dwindling ... unless your name is LeBron James. The Heat face the possibility of leaning again on an aging Butler if they are unable to strike a deal for Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard.  

The biggest question of the offseason is this: Can Butler shoulder the load another season? Sports Illustrated' national NBA writer Chris Herring recently tackled the issue. 

Here's a snippet of what he had to say: "Perhaps the biggest thing to watch should the Heat not land Lillard: It would potentially mean another year of depending on Jimmy Butler, who turns 34 next month and slowed down quite a bit as the playoffs wore on after sustaining an ankle injury in the second round against the [New York] Knicks."

Herring is right. Butler declined after the injury against the Knicks before struggling in the conference finals versus the Boston Celtics. He then appeared to have no legs in the NBA Finals loss to the Denver Nuggets in five games.   

The positive is the return of guard Tyler Herro eases the load if there is no deal for Dillard. Another year of growth from Bam Adebayo also helps. And Erik Spoelstra on the bench always provides an edge. 

The best scenario is the supporting cast stepping up to provide some relief for Butler. If not, a long season could await because the improvement of the contenders in the Eastern Conference. 

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Shandel Richardson covers the Miami Heat for Inside The Heat.

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