Has Pat Riley failed Jimmy Butler?

Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty ImagesThe Miami Heat beat the Sacramento Kings last night, snapping a three-game losing streak. But Miami is still 12-17 on the season, good for 11th place in the Eastern Conference. Miami is fortunate to sit in a conference with only four teams above .500 — they’re just two games behind the sixth-seeded Toronto Raptors.

But it’s difficult to envision this team playing at a championship-contending level this season, barring a significant trade. Even Jimmy Butler admitted after the Heat’s win last night that “we’re a ways away from being a good team this year.”

Jimmy Butler, "I mean, it's the same thing over and over for us. Like you get a lead, we're giving it…