Miami Heat Star Jimmy Butler Out vs. 76ers on Wednesday

Former Philadelphia 76ers star Jimmy Butler hasn't had an ideal third season with the Miami Heat so far. Although the All-Star forward played in Miami's first 11 games, he went on a three-game absence by mid-November.

When Butler returned to the floor for the Heat on November 17, he was healthy and available for the next six games. Unfortunately, he hit another snag lately as he continues to deal with a tailbone injury.

After playing in Miami's November 27 matchup against the Chicago Bulls, Butler went on to miss four more games. Although he returned against the Memphis Grizzlies and appeared on the court for nearly 25 minutes, Butler hasn't played for the Heat since.

With games against the Milwaukee Bucks, Chicago Bulls, and the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Heat played without Butler. The trend will continue once again when the Heat and the Sixers match up for the first time this season on Wednesday night.

The Heat kicked off a four-game road trip beginning in Cleveland on Monday night. Miami traveled without a couple of their key players, with Butler being among them. Therefore, the multi-time All-Star is guaranteed to miss another return to one of his old stomping grounds on Wednesday night.

While Butler's absence is unfortunate for Miami, who want to avoid falling into a two-game losing streak, the Sixers should benefit from it on Wednesday night. Ever since Butler packed up and left Philly for Miami via sign and trade, he's mostly dominated the Sixers over the last two seasons.

Excluding the two January matchups in Philly between the Sixers and the Heat last year when Butler missed both games due to being in the NBA's health and safety protocol, the Heat are 4-1 against the Sixers when Butler is playing. 

The last time he lost to Philly was during his first game back at the Wells Fargo Center in November of 2019. Butler won't be around for Wednesday's matchup, but that won't make it a walk in the park for the Sixers as they've had their fair share of struggles throughout this season.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.