“I look forward to that matchup,” Butler said after Friday’s practice . “Especially what he’s done this year for that team. I know that it’s going to come at some point in time. I don’t know when — but I’m going to make it tough for him. For anybody that I’m guarding. Not just me, it’s going to be a team effort. I’m going to get beat at times, I’m going to need guys to be there. If not, then we’ll do it over and over again ’til somebody is there if I’m beat. But I look forward to that challenge. I want th
Anthony was a born scorer from the moment he stepped foot in the Rocky Mountains as a rookie. His reputation as a complete offensive force took a second to blossom. His Olympic resume and All-Star appearances speak for themsel
Next up is the Los Angeles Lakers, who have the most at stake here. Their 2017 first-round pick belongs to the Philadelphia 76ers, but they attached top-three protection to it. This means if it falls out of the top-three, the 76ers will take the pick and the Lakers are left empty-han
Now, the Celtics are set to cash in. The Celtics have a 25 percent chance of landing the No. 1 pick, 46.5 percent chance to land in the top-two and are essentially guaranteed a top-five pick at minimum through Brook
Speaking of Philadelphia, they have the fourth-best odds going into lottery night. They’re the last team with double-digit odds of being No. 1 (11.9%), with a 24.5 percent chance at a top-two pick, and 37.8 percent shot at a top-three p
Listed at 6’7″, Butler is a full 10 inches taller than Thomas, but has the physical gifts that it takes to stick with him for a long period of the game. Despite the major height difference, Butler respects Thomas’ versatile g
Wade was picked at number five overall in the original draft as many people thought that big man prospects were probably a better fit for their rosters. Also, he is a little shorter than average for a two-gu
This would be the third of five straight seasons the Warriors would miss the playoffs, and while Curry’s rookie year provided some fun moments, he was still two seasons away from feeling the full effects of ankle problems that would threaten to derail his car
The last NBA missions|https://nbaactioninsight.com/ finals game played without LeBron in the lineup was on June 17, 2010 when Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers topped Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and Rasheed Wallace (!!) and the Boston Celt
The 5’9″ Thomas is in the midst of a spectacular, career-best campaign, averaging 28.9 points and 5.9 assists. If you’ve watched the Celtics play this year, you know that their entire offense runs through him and he’s what makes them tick. Further, he’s been the best fourth quarter scorer in the league, providing important points down the stretch of most ga
While taking Thomas out of the game with his swarming defense would be wonderful for the Bulls, Butler knows that the Celtics still would have other pieces on their roster that his teammates would need to be ready
Coached by Erik Spoelstra, who is still in charge of the Heat, the 2011-12 squad delivered the first of the back-to-back titles of the Big Three era. Here’s where the starting five and key contributors from that year’s team are
“He’s been that height for a long time now, so he’s mastered it,” Butler said . “He’s really good at what he does. Coming off, pulling up, shooting shots. Getting to the rim, getting to the free throw line. 5[-foot-]8, 6-8, whatever it is, the guy knows how to put the ball in the bask
Well, Prokhorov gave away a whole bunch of future assets to be decent for a few years, Derrick Favors was shipped to Utah before his rookie season ended, and now the Nets are going nowhere for the foreseeable fut
Oden’s story is a sad one as the hyped number one overall pick from Ohio State was looking to prove the doubters wrong in Miami. Pat Riley took him on as a project and things looked like they might work
Depending on who you ask, D-Wade is the third to fourth best shooting guard ever and by all accounts a sure-fire Hall of Fame candidate. He is still getting it done today and would have been huge wherever he was draf
The odds are now in place. All that’s left is for the NBA to hold its annual NBA Draft lottery, which will happen on May 16 this year, to decide which pick goes where. For some teams, it’s make or break. For others, they’re just hoping lottery luck shines down on t
With hindsight firmly set in, let’s look back at the 2003 Class and re-do these first selections armed with the information from over the past decade and change of watching these players go from prospects to superstars at the NBA le
Now back with the Cleveland Cavaliers, James is back to his title-winning ways. He led the Cavs to their first-ever title last year and is gearing up to make a run at his seventh-straight NBA Finals this y
LeBron James is a force of nature and one of the best NBA players of all time. His passing ability and IQ make him an ideal teammate for many players that score off clean looks. Cleveland celebrated their first title in over 50 years because of his prodigious p
