Heat News: Jimmy Butler Woke Up at 3:30 A.M. to Work Out Early for 1st Practice

Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler said he woke up at 3:30 a.m. Tuesday ahead of the team's first training camp practice, which didn't start until 10 a.m.

Butler, who joined the Heat as part of a July sign-and-trade deal with the Philadelphia 76ers, got in an individual workout before practice got underway, per Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald.

"Just a little extra work while y'all in your third dream," he said. "I like to get it in."

Butler has stressed wanting to establish a physical, hard-nosed attitude throughout the Heat roster, and he was happy with the early results once everybody else showed up for the first official session of the 2019-20 NBA season, per Chiang.

"I like it because everybody has something to say. I'm probably the first one that has something to say," he said. "But I'm telling you, we compete. We got some dogs. We want to fight. I know if we can battle against one another, when the time presents itself to battle against an opposing team, it's going to be even easier."

The 30-year-old Marquette product signed a four-year, $140.8 million contract as part of the deal sending him to Miami. He'll be expected to lead a roster otherwise limited in bona fide star power.

What the Heat lack in high-end players, they should make up for with depth, especially since they compete in the weaker Eastern Conference. It's a group that should run nine or 10 players deep on a nightly basis, with Goran Dragic, Dion Waiters and Bam Adebayo filling key complementary roles.

Caesars Sportsbook lists Miami as tied for the fifth-best odds to win the East with the Indiana Pacers at +1400 odds. They trail the Milwaukee Bucks (-125), Sixers (+150), Boston Celtics (+700) and Brooklyn Nets (+1000).

Butler is already setting the tone with his work ethic, and it could make the Heat a tough out come playoff time.