Following the Miami Heat’s 130-117 Game 1 road win vs. the Milwaukee Bucks, veteran big man Kevin Love praised Jimmy Butler as a player/leader (35 points/5 rebounds/11 assists/3 steals/15-27 FG/5-8 FT).
(via Bally Sports Sun):
John Crotty: “Kevin, you’ve played with some great players in your 15-year career. How about Jimmy Butler and what he’s able to do? And then the chemistry maybe that you guys are developing too? Because it really looks like you guys communicate well and are playing off each other pretty effectively.”
Love: “We do. One of the things I wanted to do when I came here was just make these guys’ job and life easier. Whether it be Bam [Adebayo], whether it be Jimmy, Tyler [Herro], throughout our entire lineup. So with Jimmy, I just want to space the floor and let him operate. He’s such a great closer, he gets to the free throw line at a high clip, and that’s why he’s one of the best players in the league. I’ll take him pretty much over anybody. He’s a guy that every single night is going to lead us, he’s going to get the job done, and he sets the tone. It was no different tonight.”
