Jimmy Butler doubles down on Pelicans criticism following blowout loss

"I'm gonna stick by what I said, we're still the better team," said Butler.

His comments came four weeks after the Heat and Pelicans were involved in a tussle in New Orleans. Following that game, a 106-95 Miami win, Butler emphatically declared, "We'll beat them next time, too. We're just a better team."

Butler is a lot of things for the Heat, but a prophet isn't one of them.

The Pels' excellent defense shut down Butler and the entire Heat offense. Forward Herb Jones, who should be a 2023-24 First-Team All-Defense team member, locked up Butler, giving the six-time All-Star no room to breathe.

At worst, Butler's comment following Miami's ugly loss highlights an arrogance that could sink the Heat in the playoffs. In the most generous reading, he's maintaining confidence in a team that plays its best during the postseason.

However, it's difficult not to scoff at him after his team failed to show up in a game New Orleans' two best players combined for four points. Forward Brandon Ingram (hyperextended knee) is out for at least two weeks, while power forward Zion Williamson only scored four points in 25 minutes on the second night of a back-to-back.

It's even more worrisome, considering the Heat should have had this game circled after Butler pledged a victory.

With the win, New Orleans (43-27, fifth in Western Conference) is 1.5 games behind the Clippers for a top-four seed.

Miami (38-32, seventh in Eastern Conference) dropped 1.5 games back of the Pacers for sixth in the East and is 4-6 in its last 10 games.

The Heat have a manageable end-of-season schedule with five of their final 12 games against the Trail Blazers, Wizards, Hawks and Raptors, teams outside the top 10 in their respective conferences.

But instead of Friday night signaling the Heat are building momentum toward another deep playoff run, it raises serious questions. If Butler is correct, why is Miami getting blown out at home by a team it's better than?