AUBURN HILLS – Heat small forward Rasual Butler still hasn’t gotten over losing his starting job at the start of this season, but some things come full circle. With Dwayne Wade’s strained rib injury leaving his status for last night’s Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals questionable at press time, Butler was the leading candidate to return to the starting lineup.
Butler started the Heat’s first 15 games before Miami coach Stan Van Gundy made a season-defining shakeup. Van Gundy inserted Damon Jones into the starting lineup as point guard, shifted Wade to shooting guard and moved Eddie Jones to Butler’s slot.
Last night, the Heat was one victory over the Pistons from advancing to the Finals to face the Spurs, despite Wade’s and Shaquille O’Neal’s suspect health.
“We understand we wouldn’t be good with out those guys and they wouldn’t be good with out us,” said Butler, a 2002 second-rounder out of LaSalle.
Butler never saw the lineup change coming.
“It was difficult for me,” he said. “I worked specifically hard for that spot. I worked for that starting spot once I knew the small forward position was open. It was a downer but I stayed positive, focused, had great teammates and a coaching staff who continued to give me confidence, saying it wasn’t anything against me but it’s best for the team.”
Indeed, it turned out wonderful for the top-seeded Heat, as Wade flourished at shooting guard and has experienced a Jordan-esque postseason. Wade has averaged 27 points in the series, 28 for the playoffs.
At yesterday’s morning shoot-around in which he did not participate, Wade only spoke briefly to TNT, saying: “It feels better today. I’m going to try to play. There aren’t many days left.”
Wade sustained his right-rib strain in the third quarter of Game 3, on a crossover dribble fake that freed him at the 3-point line. He has had trouble breathing for two days. Pain medication might allow him to suit up but minutes could be scarce. “He’s a little better,” Van Gundy said.
Resting Wade last night to have him healthier for tomorrow’s potential Game 7 in Miami was a consideration.
“Our medical staff will decide that,” Van Gundy said. “[But] to assume we can go home and get a win is wrong thinking. You don’t give one away.”
Van Gundy also knows if Wade is too limited, there’s no point in playing. “If he’s really hampered and can’t get down the floor, it’s not better [to have him play],” Van Gundy said.
Butler provided a big lift in the Heat’s Game 5 victory, draining two 3-pointers and scoring 12 points. Van Gundy has gone exclusively with Butler off the bench, as ex-Knick Shandon Anderson has five straight DNPs.
“That’s my role on the team – to shoot from the perimeter,” Butler said. “We have Dwyane penetrating, Eddie Jones slashing. Not a lot of room in the paint. I’m one of the outside shooters.”
It was possible Anderson, whom the Knicks bought out in preseason after he was outplayed by rookie Trevor Ariza, would get playing time last night. Van Gundy wanted Butler’s offense more than Anderson’s defense versus the Pistons.
“It’s nothing negative with Shandon,” Van Gundy said. “I just have gone with Rasual. Anyone wants to criticize that decision they can, but I like what Rasual has given us in this series.”
