The Miami Heat once again advance to the NBA Finals after a thrilling and intense playoff journey in the Eastern Conference. The team who had little to no chance of being in the playoffs surprised everybody by overachieving in the postseason. And now, they’re in the Finals. After their win in the Eastern Conference Finals against the Boston Celtics, Miami Heat superstar Jimmy Butler receives the first-ever Larry Bird award for the ECF Most Valuable Player. But another player seems to deserve that honor – Caleb Martin. Should Caleb Martin have won it over Jimmy, or was it just right?
Larry Bird Eastern Conference Finals MVP: Jimmy Butler wins over Caleb Martin by one vote
The Miami Heat managed to escape a 3-0 collapse against the Celtics in the ECF. After winning game 7, the NBA awarded Jimmy Butler with the Larry Bird Eastern Conference Finals MVP award.
Playoff Jimmy was not himself in the ECF and even struggled in the last few games, allowing the Celtics to force a game 7. He averaged 24.7 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 6.1 assists in seven games. Meanwhile, Caleb Martin was very impressive with 19.3 points while shooting a high percentage of 60% on the floor and adding 6.4 rebounds per game. The voting results were then later revealed, and it was shown that Butler received five votes compared to Martin’s four, which means he only won the award by one vote.
Caleb Martin’s heroics in the Eastern Conference Finals
Surprisingly, Caleb Martin subtly carried the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals, especially when Jimmy Butler had an off night. He was very consistent on the floor and was shooting efficiently. Caleb Martin was an undrafted forward in 2019. Meanwhile, his twin brother, Cody Martin, was picked 36th overall by the Charlotte Hornets in the same year. However, Caleb shined just recently, and his stellar performance didn’t go unnoticed.
He was a monster during the Conference Finals. He even became the second option behind Jimmy Butler. With Tyler Herro and Victor Oladipo out due to injuries, Caleb Martin and the rest of the undrafted players of the Miami Heat (Robinson, Strus, Vincent) stepped up.
Should Caleb Martin have won the ECF MVP award?
In hindsight, it was clear that Caleb Martin sometimes becomes the best player on the court for the Heat. He could have won the ECF MVP, but he did not. We can argue about it, but this isn’t the team’s priority. What they have their eyes on is none other than the Larry O’Brien trophy. Indeed Caleb Martin could have been ECF MVP, but it was obvious that Boston Celtics were only looking to shut down one player – and it was Jimmy Butler.
Himmy’s impact on the team is immeasurable. As the team’s true leader, he is bringing this underrated team to the NBA Finals and could probably win it all. It’s just right that Jimmy Butler was named the Eastern Conference Finals MVP. However, we must give huge props to Caleb Martin for stepping up to the plate, especially when the team needed it most.
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