Inside The Heat

New Miami Heat Player Given Jimmy Butler and Dwyane Wade Treatment

Ethan J. Skolnick|
Apr 12, 2017; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Dwyane Wade (3) and forward Jimmy Butler (21) rest during the second half against the Brooklyn Nets at the United Center. Chicago defeats Brooklyn 112-73. Mandatory Credit: Mike DiNovo-Imagn Images
Apr 12, 2017; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Dwyane Wade (3) and forward Jimmy Butler (21) rest during the second half against the Brooklyn Nets at the United Center. Chicago defeats Brooklyn 112-73. Mandatory Credit: Mike DiNovo-Imagn Images | Mike DiNovo-Imagn Images

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Miami Heat

There's a method to the Miami Heat's locker room madness.

While it may seem that the stall arrangement, in the circular locker room at Kaseya Center, is completely random, that hasn't actually been the case since the Heat started calling the place home -- even when it went by the name of American Airlines Arena.

A certain level of player has been granted particular stalls, especially the one on the far left of the room as you enter -- with plenty of space for reporters to the side before the door -- as well as the one a few seats down to the right, close to a quick training room exist.

The one on the left has belonged to Shaquille O'Neal and LeBron James, among others -- now recent first-round pick Kel'el Ware sits there. And the aforementioned one on the right has been occupied by Tim Hardaway, Dwyane Wade and Jimmy Butler.

Now it belongs to newcomer Norman Powell, who may not be at that level, but was acquired from the Los Angeles Clippers this offseason to juice a stagnant offense. That designation was clear in a recent video the Heat posted on social media.

There Powell saw his new jersey, which has his old number (24), a number he has taken from Haywood Highsmith. (Highsmith has joked that he got a little something for it, as he has switched to 8, and is now recovering from knee surgery.)

Will Powell reach the Hall of Fame heights of Hardaway and Wade, or even repeat the exploits of Butler, who led the franchise to two NBA Finals before his infamous suspensions and trades last season?

The Heat aren't counting on that. But they are counting on him to be a key piece, after a near All-Star season, and expect him to represent his new symbolic spot well.

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Ethan J. Skolnick
ETHAN J. SKOLNICK

Ethan has covered all major sports -- in South Florida and beyond -- since 1996 and is one of the longest-tenured fully credentialed members of the Miami Heat. He has covered, in total, more than 30 NBA Finals, Super Bowls, World Series and Stanley Cup Finals. After working full-time for the Miami Herald, South Florida Sun-Sentinel, Palm Beach Post, Bleacher Report and several other outlets, he founded the Five Reasons Sports Network in 2019 and began hosting the Five on the Floor podcast as part of that network. The podcast is regularly among the most downloaded one-team focused NBA podcasts in the nation, and the network is the largest independent sports outlet in South Florida, by views, listens and social media reach. He has a B.A. from The Johns Hopkins University and an M.S. from Columbia University. TWITTER: @EthanJSkolnick and @5ReasonsSports EMAIL: fllscribe@gmail.com

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