Jimmy Butler Shines in Debut, Trae Young Injured as Heat Beat Hawks
The Miami Heat kicked off the Jimmy Butler era with a 112-97 victory over the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday at AmericanAirlines Arena.
Butler, who missed his first three games for the birth of his daughter, scored 12 of his 21 points in the first quarter en route to Miami's 15-point win.
Rookie guard Tyler Herro proved to be the Heat's star, however, scoring 19 of his 29 points in the second quarter to lead Miami's scoring effort.
A scary moment occurred in the second quarter when Atlanta Hawks point guard Trae Young sprained his right ankle while driving through the lane.
The Hawks ruled him out, but ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski provided encouraging postgame news:
John Collins led the Hawks with 30 points and seven rebounds.
The 3-1 Heat have started the 2019-20 season almost as well as hoped, including in a 131-126 overtime road victory over the Milwaukee Bucks, who went 60-22 last season.
The 2-2 Hawks have dropped two straight but won their first two against the Detroit Pistons and Orlando Magic, who each made the playoffs last year.
Their other defeat was a 105-103 loss at the hands of the Philadelphia 76ers, who are considered a top-two Eastern Conference contender along with the Bucks.
Notable Performances
Hawks PG Trae Young: 5 points on 2-of-5 shooting (11 minutes)
Hawks PF John Collins: 30 points on 10-of-17 shooting, 7 rebounds, 4 assists
Heat G/F Jimmy Butler: 21 points on 5-of-11 shooting (10-of-15 free-throw shooting), 3 steals
Heat G Tyler Herro: 29 points on 7-of-9 shooting (12-of-16 free-throw shooting), 7 rebounds
Heat G Goran Dragic: 21 points on 7-of-12 shooting
Heat F/C Bam Adebayo: 17 points on 4-of-7 shooting, 10 rebounds
Herro Paces Heat Offense
Caesars Sportsbook lists the 76ers and Bucks as co-favorites to win the Eastern Conference, with no close second.
A few teams have staked claims for spoiling that favorite party, however, with one of them being the Heat.
A big reason: Herro.
Herro's intense fearlessness and aggressiveness aren't common traits seen in many rookies, but the guard plays at a different level than everyone else on the court, like he's caught fire in NBA Jam.
That happened Tuesday as Herro went off in the second quarter for 19 points on 5-of-6 shooting (7-of-10 from the free-throw line).
The ex-Kentucky star was simply unstoppable during that span, scoring nearly two-thirds of his team's 30 points to give the Heat a 10-point halftime edge.
The rookie kept it going in the fourth quarter, however, with eight more points to hold off a late Hawks rally.
The Herro hype hit a fever pitch during NBA Summer League and preseason play as he lit up teams during those games, but it's only getting more noticeable early this season.
Herro has averaged 19 points in Miami's three wins on 19-of-39 shooting. Based on that early trend, he figures to be a key centerpiece in the Heat's offense, which has dropped 118 points per game during its 3-1 stat.
And if Herro keeps this up, maybe Miami spoils the Milwaukee-Philadelphia Eastern Conference Finals party.
Collins Carries Hawks Offense
Collins has shown signs over the past two seasons that he may become a perennial Eastern Conference All-Star before long. When given time, he's a double-double machine capable of posting 20-10 nights with ease.
The third-year pro entered Tuesday averaging a double-double with 14.3 points and 10.0 rebounds per game, but he exploded offensively to the tune of 30 points on 10-of-17 shooting, including 5-of-8 from three-point range.
The Hawks sorely needed Collins' efforts on a night where they struggled offensively. To wit, all starting lineup members not named Collins combined for just eight field goals, or two fewer than the top scorer alone.
He's proved to be a significant matchup problem, capable of stretching the floor and hitting four threes in one quarter alone:
And he can make acrobatic plays in the lane, like this catch-and-shoot while midair:
But he can get it done on the other end, as evidenced by this timely block:
Collins finished top 25 in player efficiency rating among qualifiers in 2018-19, per Basketball Reference. He did that at the age of 21, and he's started off this season looking even better.
Ultimately, the Hawks may be a rebuilding team constructed around players in their early 20s, but the Young-Collins duo is capable of advancing Atlanta's progress rather quickly.
What's Next?
The two teams meet again in the return matchup in Atlanta on Thursday at 7 p.m. ET.
