Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler. Christopher Creveling-USA TODAY Sports

Jimmy Butler has interesting take on improved three-point shooting

By Jeff Smith | Last updated 2/7/24

Miami Heat guard Jimmy Butler finds a new way to surprise each and every year, and that goes beyond just his unique hairstyle changes. Butler, who's been one of the most well-rounded and talented players in the NBA on both ends of the floor for the last decade, has elevated his game in an entirely new way this season.

Butler has become a legitimately strong threat as an outsider shooter, something that could be a nightmare for the rest of the Eastern Conference come playoff time. And while he's been consistent and reliable shooting from beyond the arc, Butler admitted that even though many people may want him to shoot more, he plans to continue getting inside to "hit people," as Brady Hawk of Five Reasons Sports highlighted.

I talked to Jimmy Butler about shooting just under 45% from three this season, and if 50 is still the goal:

“I think everyone wants me to shoot more of them honestly. I’m not going for that though, I’m still gonna run in there and hit people.” pic.twitter.com/RB6ceyKpEI
— Brady Hawk (@BradyHawk305) February 7, 2024

The 34-year-old guard made a big jump in his outside shooting last season, knocking down 35% of his attempts, but averaged just 1.6 per game during the regular season. That percentage marks more than a 10% increase from his first three seasons with the Heat and was his highest since the 2018-19 season (37.8%). But through 35 games this year, Butler is knocking down a career-best 44.2% from deep while averaging his most attempts (2.3 per game) since the 2018-19 season.

While Butler's 2.3 three-pointers per game aren't eye-opening, his shooting percentage increasing by almost 20% from his first three seasons in Miami with even slightly more attempts is eye-opening. Butler is widely viewed as one of the players who puts an exceptional amount of time into fine-tuning his craft, and this is just proof of that.

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