3 players most to blame for the Heat’s disappointing 1-4 start

1. Jimmy Butler

It starts at the top. Jimmy Butler was the driving force behind Miami's deep postseason run. He's the best player on the roster. With all due respect to Bam Adebayo, he's the one Heat player who can single-handedly will his team to victory on a regular basis. Butler is the primary offensive engine, and right now, that engine is conked out.

In four games, Butler has averaged 16.5 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 3.5 assists on .357/.250/.833 splits. He's averaging 32.8 minutes per game — the lowest mark of his career since 2012-13, his second NBA season — and shots simply are not falling. It's still early, and shooting percentages have a natural tendency to fluctuate. Butler won't shoot 36 percent from the field all season, so his points will trend upward eventually.

Still, it's fair to get a little concerned about Butler's status as the unimpeachable top-10 superstar at the center of Miami's competitive aspirations. The Damian Lillard trade would have shifted the primary burden away from Butler. Instead, at 34 years old, Butler is still the central force in an offense that lost multiple key contributors. Vincent walked, so Miami's starting point guard reps have gone to the woefully uninvolved Lowry. Strus' minutes are going to Richardson or Haywood Highsmith, which hurts spacing. It's a mess.

Butler is probably marred in a cold spell. He won't stay this inefficient all season. His assist numbers are down, but that should improve as the shots start falling. Miami has to plan for the future, which could involve shifting more responsibility over to Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro, but Butler remains the foundation upon which this Heat team is built. If he's not playing up to par, the Heat are going to struggle.