During exit interviews, Miami Heat Coach Erik Spoelstra reflected on the team's tumultuous season marked by Jimmy Butler's mid-season trade to the Golden State Warriors. The team finished with a 37-45 record, landing 10th in the Eastern Conference. Spoelstra emphasized that despite the challenges and speculation surrounding Butler's departure, the organization remains committed to accountability and improvement. The Heat's season culminated in a playoff run when they became the first 10th seed to progress from the play-in tournament, albeit following a stark decline in performance post-trade.
"It certainly had an impact," Spoelstra said Wednesday when asked how Butler's contentious exit impacted the team. "We are an organization that prides ourselves on not making any kind of excuses."
The Heat ended up finishing the regular season with the Eastern Conference's 10th-best record at 37-45 before winning back-to-back elimination road games to become the first 10th-place team to make the playoffs.
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