Wednesday 30 October 2019 09:17, UK
Jimmy Butler enjoyed a victorious regular-season debut as the Heat beat the Hawks but was quick to praise the contribution of rookie team-mate Tyler Herro.
Butler had missed the opening three games of Miami's season after recently becoming a father. His delayed regular-season debut against Atlanta on Tuesday night saw him score 21 points in a 112-97 Hawks win.
Butler showed his tenacity on the defensive end too, racking up three steals.
But Butler did not end the night as his team's top scorer. That honour went to rookie shooting guard Tyler Herro who caught fire off the bench with 29 points.
Herro, selected 13th overall in the 2019 draft, enjoyed the best night of his short career to date, hitting seven of his nine field goals (including 3-of-4 from three-point range) and draining 12 of his 16 free throws.
Speaking after the game, Butler said he was not shocked by Herro's breakout performance.
"It doesn't surprise me and I don't think it surprised anybody on this building," he said. "It damn sure shouldn't surprise anybody in the league.
"The guy is a real player. He is key for us and we want him to keep playing that way."
Asked about his influence on the Heat's team defense, Butler replied: "We just continually play hard.
"Defense is all about will, 'want to' and how hard you play. We've got a lot of guys who just play hard."
