Category: Basketball

Jimmy Butler believes Warriors found identity after wins over Bulls, Cavaliers originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Jimmy Butler made a statement return from injury on Sunday against the Chicago Bulls, posting 19 points, eight rebounds, and six assists while shooting 50 percent from the field in the Warriors’ 123-91 win.

Butler, who had missed the first two contests of a three-game East Coast road trip with a knee injury, was one of six Warriors players to score in double figures against the Bulls. His return to the lineup helped the team overcome the tough task of playing the second consecutive road game without Steph Curry and Draymond Green.

“A lot of guys played incredibly well tonight, everybody was comfortable,” Butler said praising Golden State’s short-handed offense in the locker room postgame. “The ball was moving in a major way, and amazing shots, it always helps.”

He further credited the incredible job Pat Spencer has done in Curry’s absence, adding to Steve Kerr’s NSFW postgame commentary after Saturday’s 99-94 underdog victory in Cleveland.

“I think we feel good. Pat has been hooping. I f—king love what I’ve seen from Pat…” Butler said.

The recent emergence of Spencer has trade rumors swirling about Jonathan Kuminga’s future with the organization, and De’Anthony Melton making his season debut in Philadelphia provides Steve Kerr with another option for the ever-changing starting lineup. Butler claimed that the Warriors are finally finding their identity despite using their 13th different starting lineup against the Bulls.

“I think we’re finally starting to figure out who we are, it’s never too early to do that, and never too late either. So, we just need to, you know, keep stringing these things together,” Butler said.

Player health is arguably the biggest obstacle the Warriors must overcome in order to keep their record above .500, and it is reported that Curry could potentially participate in team practice on Wednesday following his quad injury re-evaluation.

Taking two games out of three on the road without Curry seemed like an impossible venture itself, so having four days off to recover is crucial before hosting the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday at Chase Center.

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Four key trends fueling Celtics' rapid rise up East standings originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The Boston Celtics were 5-7 after a loss to the Philadelphia 76ers on Nov. 11. It was fair to wonder at that time whether this Celtics team had what it took to make the playoffs, or if they would sink to the NBA Draft Lottery for the first time since 2014.

No one is wondering about that scenario anymore.

Since that loss in Philly, the Celtics have been on an impressive run with a 10-2 record in their last 12 games. This stretch has seen the Celtics rise up the Eastern Conference standings to third place with a 15-9 record following Sunday’s road win against the Toronto Raptors.

What’s fueling this surge from the C’s? Let’s look at four key trends from this 12-game span (Nov. 12 through Dec. 7).

Offensive rating is elite

No team has a better offensive rating than the Celtics’ 128.6 over their last 12 games. The next-closest is the Denver Nuggets at 125.9.

A couple factors are leading to this high offensive rating for the C’s. During this stretch, they rank No. 3 in points per game (122.8), No. 3 in field goal percentage (50.3), No. 4 in 3-point percentage (41.2), No. 3 in second-chance points (17.4) per game and No. 9 in points off turnovers (18.8) per game.

“We’re definitely going through a stretch of shooting luck, that’s for sure,” Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla said after Friday’s win over the Los Angeles Lakers at TD Garden.

“We’re definitely shooting the ball better than we were, so that does make everything seem better. But I think you come into the season with an identity and a level of execution that you wanna have, and then you learn more about your team.

“As we continue to evolve offensively and have guys in different spots, playing different lineups, working the reads, what the matchups are, what the coverages are, what the spacing should be … I think we came in with an identity of how we wanted to play, and I think it’s ever-evolving just based on the season. I think the guys are doing a good job of understanding that.”

The Celtics’ offense has been much better of late, but there’s still work to be done on the defensive end of the floor. Boston is 16th in defensive rating during this 10-2 stretch.

Jaylen Brown playing like an MVP

Brown deserves to make a huge jump in NBA.com’s next MVP ladder rankings. The 2024 NBA Finals MVP is playing arguably the best basketball of his career right now.

Over the last 12 games, Brown is scoring 30.6 points per game (sixth-highest in the league), while shooting 47.6 percent from the field and 36.8 percent from 3-point range. He’s also averaging 7.5 rebounds and 5.9 assists per game in that span.

Brown’s consistency has been huge for the Celtics. He has scored 30-plus points in six of his last seven games, and he’s hit that mark in 13 games overall, tied for second-most in the NBA this season.

Brown’s 29.1 points per game average this season would rank third-highest in team history.

The 29-year-old wing is playing like a legit No. 1 franchise cornerstone. He has put the Celtics on his back while Jayson Tatum is out of the lineup due to injury. Brown is well on his way to earning an All-NBA selection for the second time in his career.

Derrick White finding groove from 3-point range

Brown has been fantastic, but one man can’t carry a team to a 10-2 record alone, especially when that stretch includes games against a lot of opponents that are currently in a playoff spot. White has stepped up in a major way over the last 12 games, and the numbers speak for themselves.

White was shooting 28 percent on 3-pointers over the first 12 games of the season. He shot 39.8 percent from beyond the arc over the last 12 games.

“Derrick is finding his stride as well,” Brown said after Friday’s victory over the Lakers. “When Derrick starts checking his pockets for threes, that’s a good sign for our team.”

The uptick in 3-point shooting percentage for White has been the most prominent driver of his improvement. White has never shot worse than 38.1 percent from 3-point range in a full season with the Celtics, and he’s now at 33.8 percent overall after his recent surge.

White has averaged 23.5 points, 5.5 assists and 4.3 rebounds over the last six games. The Celtics need this kind of effectiveness from the veteran guard to maintain their place in the top three of the East standings.

Jordan Walsh providing a spark at both ends of the floor

It’s not a coincidence that the Celtics’ 10-2 run started with Walsh being inserted into the starting lineup. The 2023 second-round pick has been one of the most improved players this season.

His defense has always been very good, and it’s one of the primary reasons why he was drafted in the first place.

But you could argue that the most profound improvement in his game has come offensively.

He is averaging 14 points on 76.5 percent shooting (63.6 percent from 3-point range) over the last five games. He’s not just hitting a bunch of 3-pointers, either. Walsh is scoring points in the paint, too, including second-chance points from offensive rebounds and put-back dunks.

The key for Walsh is maintaining this level of play on a consistent basis. The fact that teams need to respect his ability to stretch the floor as an outside shooter a lot more than they did in the past is a huge game-changer for Boston.

The Celtics needed a role player (or two) to take a huge leap with Tatum out, and Walsh has filled that role extremely well so far.

Warriors reportedly waiving second-round pick Alex Toohey to sign Malevy Leons originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The Warriors appear to be parting ways with one of their 2025 NBA Draft picks.

Golden State is signing 26-year-old Dutch forward Malevy Leons to a two-way contract and waiving 2025 second-round pick Alex Toohey as the corresponding move, NBA insiders Marc Stein and Jaks Fischer reported Monday, citing sources.

Toohey, the Australian forward the Warriors selected with the No. 52 pick in this year’s draft, played only two games in the G League with the Santa Cruz Warriors before needing season-ending knee surgery.

The 6-foot-9 Leons, signed by the Oklahoma City Thunder as an undrafted free agent in 2024, has averaged 13.2 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists per game on 48.9-percent shooting from the field and 40.4 percent from 3-point range in 25 games (20 starts) for the Oklahoma City Blue in the G League.

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Derrick White is so back: Celtics star's hot shooting has sparked turnaround originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

If there was any lingering skepticism about whether Derrick White was getting himself back on track after a prolonged, alarm-triggering shooting slump to start the 2025-26 season, White delivered a vintage fourth-quarter performance Sunday in Toronto that seemingly confirmed he’s turned a corner.

White busted out all the familiar hallmarks in the final frame against the Raptors. He threw in some absurdly tough shots. He swatted an offering and took a charge in the final moments. White finished with 27 points on 10-of-21 shooting with six 3-pointers, five assists, four rebounds, and three blocks over 37:17 as the Celtics won their fifth straight game with a gritty 121-113 triumph over the Raptors.

Boston has now won 10 of its last 12 while muscling up to third place in the Eastern Conference. White’s shot regularly defied him as the Celtics limped to a 5-7 start. But part of the reason the team has gotten itself on track has been White getting himself — and his shot — going again. 

Maybe the most striking number in Boston’s recent five-game winning streak is the confidence White is oozing in his pull-up jumper. Over that span, White is averaging 14.8 points per game off pull-up jumpers, well above his season average of 8.1 pull-up points per game. He’s shooting 53.7 percent overall from the field and 46.9 percent from beyond the arc on pull-up attempts.

On Sunday, White didn’t just make pull-up shots; he made ridiculous pull-up shots. Scrambling in front of the Raptors bench early in the fourth quarter, White pirouetted into Boston’s toughest make of the day (the NBA’s stats tracking gave it a 30.1 percent expected make rate). A 32-footer he threw in from just outside the midcourt logo a short time after — which felt like it got launched from nearby Mississauga — was only slightly easier (31.4 expected make rate).

White ranks 17th in the NBA in pull-up shooting at 8.1 points per game this season. Since late November, White has spiked to fifth in the NBA at a team-best 13 pull-up points per game. Only Jamal Murray, Luka Doncic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Kawhi Leonard sit ahead of him in that span.

There’s been an obvious difference in White’s confidence lately when he fires away. If he was hesitant at times after his early-season woes, he’s oozing machismo when he pulls up lately.

White scored a team-high 30 points with five 3-pointers when the Celtics rested Jaylen Brown in a 146-101 thumping of the Wizards on Thursday. White made five of 10 triples against the Lakers the next day. He’s made five 3-pointers in four of his last six games and is shooting 41.2 percent beyond the arc overall in that stretch. 

Now the Celtics just need to get him back to his familiar catch-and-shoot ways. That output is still down. But it seems fair to assume that White’s confidence in the pull-up will carry over to catch-and-shoot playtype. 

Even when his shot was fighting him at the start of the season, White was finding ways to make a positive impact. His playmaking has been solid and he’s maintained his “Stocks”-stacking ways on the defensive end. But as White finds his shot, the Celtics have kicked into another gear. The Celtics are putting up video game numbers on the offensive end of the court since mid-November. 

Over their last 12 games, the Celtics have posted an offensive rating of 128.6. The Knicks are the next-closest in the Eastern Conference in that span at 121.8. For the season, the Celtics now rank second in the NBA with an offensive rating of 122.0, trailing only the Nuggets (124.0). For context, the 2023-24 Celtics team that produced the franchise’s 18th championship posted an NBA record offensive rating of 122.2.

So, even while operating without Jayson Tatum; and despite all the offseason changes; and even as White and Payton Pritchard slumped at times to start the 2025-26 season; the Celtics are still tracking to challenge their NBA-record offensive rating. 

In this 12-game stretch where Boston has posted a 10-2 mark, the Celtics are 13.5 points per 100 possessions better with White on the court than off, the best net differential on the team among regulars in that span (Jaylen Brown is second at +9.1). 

White is vital to the Celtics being able to sustain this sort of offensive efficiency. The numbers are so off the charts overall, it feels impossible that Boston could maintain those marks as a team. And yet there’s still room for White to improve his shot-making.

And it’s scary to think where the Celtics could go if that happens.

Jimmy Butler reveals why he has connected well with Bay Area amid Warriors stint originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Jimmy Butler has loved his time in the Golden State after being traded to the Warriors from the Miami Heat at the 2024-25 NBA trade deadline in February.

The six-time NBA All-Star elaborated on his joyous Northern California experience in an exclusive interview for NBC Sports Bay Area’s “Dubs Talk” with Monte Poole and Raj Mathai.

Butler first discussed his strong connection with the Warriors and their fanbase.

“Besides the fact that everybody works so hard and is so humble around here, I think they just want to win — this organization, their fanbase and myself,” Butler told Mathai and Poole. “We all just want to win. We don’t care how we get there; we don’t care [about] what it takes; we just want to win. 

“I’ve always been for that. And I’ll do whatever it takes, if we can just win.”

Golden State has run the league for the majority of Butler’s 15-year NBA career.

So, as someone who craves victory, it makes sense why Butler fits in with the Warriors and their proven winners such as Steph Curry, Draymond Green and Steve Kerr.

But that’s not all Butler has loved about his Bay Area journey. He also admires how grounded the region is in the present, day-to-day.

“Everybody’s like … here … in the present time,” Butler told Mathai and Poole. “You know, you’re in Miami, everybody’s down there for vacation, and then they leave, and then they come back, duh duh duh. Everybody here — [at] the games cheering, getting coffee, walking their dog, talking to everybody — they’re living in the moment. And they won’t let that moment pass them, which is a good thing.

“So when I get to walk around … I get to see people, and I get to talk — and they’re here; they’re in the moment. ‘How are you?’ … love that. I get to go to a coffee shop and sit down and have coffee, and we’re talking about whatever we’re talking about — that’s in the moment. That’s being here.”

Enjoying the Warriors’ passionate basketball atmosphere — and making fun of Buddy Hield — is just the surface for Butler.

At his core, he loves a good cup of coffee and engaging with authentic locals, which really makes the Bay the perfect place for the 36-year-old.

“That’s what it is about the Bay Area — everybody’s here.”

It is unknown whether Butler will one day finish his tenure with Golden State as an NBA champion. But he certainly appreciates the moment, as do his new neighbors.

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Warriors reportedly expected to explore Jonathan Kuminga trade market soon originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Jonathan Kuminga’s tenure with the Warriors soon could come to an end.

Golden State’s young forward, who was a DNP-CD (Did Not Play — Coach’s Decision) in Sunday’s 123-91 win over the Chicago Bulls at United Center, has seen decreased playing time in recent weeks after a hot start to the 2025-26 NBA season, and could be traded soon.

ESPN’s Anthony Slater reported, citing league sources, in a story published Monday that the Warriors are expected to explore Kuminga’s trade market in the coming weeks, with the possibility of a split before the NBA’s Feb. 5 trade deadline remaining “strong.”

Kuminga spoke to reporters in the locker room after Sunday’s game, and was asked about his benching and if it’s something he expects to continue moving forward.

“I’m not really sure [how long it lasts],” Kuminga said. “But as long as things are working out there and we winning, I don’t see the point of switching anything, changing. Whenever my number get called, I’ll be ready.”

“We’ve been doing good,” Kuminga said. “Things are working. So, I don’t see the point of taking certain people out of the rotation when we doing good, and things are going well.”

The 23-year-old also reiterated that he has no issues with coach Steve Kerr.

“We have a good relationship,” Kuminga said when asked about Kerr. “We talk and figure out things. We don’t have any problem. I don’t have any problem. Just didn’t go my way. I’m going to stay happy, stay locked in, stay focused, stay positive.”

“I don’t have any problems. I’m going to work out every day, stay ready, because you never know how these things works. I believe in my game and feel good about my game. I just got to be a professional. Things happen. It has happened before.”

Kuminga’s tumultuous restricted free agency over the summer came to an end when he signed a two-year, $46.8 million contract with Golden State on Sept. 30.

He turned heads in the first two weeks of the season, averaging 17.2 points with 7.1 rebounds and 3.1 assists in the first nine games before suffering bilateral knee tendonitis four games later in the Warriors’ win over the San Antonio Spurs on Nov. 12 that sidelined him seven games.

Since his return to the court on Nov. 29 against the Pelicans, Kuminga is averaging 7.7 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2 assists per game in just 19 minutes on the court.

It remains to be seen if, or when, Kuminga will be traded, but the odds are appearing increasingly likely by the week.

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Jimmy Butler sets record straight on his lengthy history of NBA bridge-burning originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO – Considered by some the NBA’s most notorious burner of bridges, Jimmy Butler III says he is delighted to be in a region known for its bridges. And not because he has so many targets to set ablaze.

It’s because Butler senses the Golden State Warriors possess an unrelenting quest for victory that matches his own.

Though Butler did not say his previous stops within the league – Chicago Bulls, Minnesota Timberwolves, Philadelphia 76ers and Miami Heat – were comfortable with losing, the insinuation is that non-basketball issues and less dedicated circumstances have rubbed him the wrong way.

“I’m always about winning, winning at all costs,” Butler tells NBC Sports Bay Area on the latest episode of the “Dubs Talk” podcast, which debuted Monday. “So, when it doesn’t stay about winning, it can become about many different things. If it ain’t about winning, I’m telling y’all right now, I’m not here for it.

“It’s got to be about winning. Everything we do, it’s got to be about winning.”

Consider that a warning. If things start getting political or subjective within the Warriors, or if they tolerate unseriousness on the roster, Butler might reach for his lighter and start scouting the Golden Gate.

Butler need not worry. All evidence seen and heard during the 15 years that Joe Lacob and Peter Guber have owned the Golden State franchise is that winning is both everything and the only thing. Consider, for example, their early moves, notably bringing in Jerry West and Rick Welts. And their wonderfully executed recruitment of Kevin Durant. And their investment in the cash cow that is Chase Center.

Consider, too, the expensive acquisition of Butler in February.

“We had to get better on the basketball court,” general manager Mike Dunleavy told NBC Sports Bay Area in March. “But we needed to get better, emotionally. We’d lost our way. And to be able to accomplish those two things, there’s not many players out there that can do that. And I felt like Jimmy was one of those guys. It’s tough in this league to make trades because there’s very few really good players that are available. And in this case, Jimmy was.”

Butler was available because, turned off by criticism of Heat shot-caller Pat Riley and the lack of a contract extension, he had burned his bridge in Miami. Butler twice led the Heat to the NBA Finals during his five-plus seasons in Miami. The epilogue to his fourth NBA team was a fourth bridge torching.

“If it’s about winning, if it’s about winning it – the championship – I’m all for it,” Butler says. “If it’s not, and there are any other agendas, y’all won’t like it. Because I don’t care. I’m literally just here to win. That’s it. I don’t care about anything else.”

The Warriors, with a disappointing xx-xx record (PLEASE UPDATE), are not meeting their standard. They also are not meeting Butler’s standard and goal. As it stands, he’s a six-time NBA All-Star and very probable Hall of Famer. What he is not is an NBA champion.

That is, as he says, why he is a Warrior. And, yes, he believes it is possible.

“(It’s) the practice,” Butler says. “The work that everybody’s putting in afterwards, and how they care about doing right. It doesn’t always go our way, and we make mistakes, but that’s just the game. That’s just human nature. Nobody’s perfect.

“But the intent is what really matters. If you’re trying to do right, you’re trying everything that you have to win, it’s going to work out more days than not. And I see that amongst our group. I see that in the coaches. They work relentlessly at trying to figure it out. And then we’ve got to go out there and we got to actually do it. But they’re putting us in all the correct situations.”

If there is anything Butler has more faith in than those in the locker room, it is those in the executive suites upstairs. It’s Dunleavy, Butler’s teammate for three seasons in Chicago, who has shown a willingness to make big moves. And it’s Lacob, whose ambition always operates at the speed of light.

Butler has bought into the ways of the Warriors, starting with those at the top. Andrew Wiggins, who went to Miami in the swap that brought Butler to the Bay, never wanted to leave, partly because he won a championship with Golden State and partly because he marveled at the “top-notch” management of the franchise.

Butler, in his 10th month as a Warrior, is in full agreement.

“They would do anything and everything for you to just make sure that you can compete at a high level – whatever it is,” he says. “When your kids are here, your kids are going to be well taken care of. My daughter got every allergy known to humankind, probably, and just to make sure that when she’s around, all her allergy needs or like taken care of goes a long way for me, goes a long way for anybody.

“. . . They have the most incredible people throughout this organization and it’s just always a good place to come into work. You want to be here. You’re smiling. You’re having fun. And then whenever you leave, you’re like, ‘OK, it’s a good day today at work. Can’t wait to go back tomorrow.’ That’s when I knew. I was like, ‘Yo, this place is legit.’ It’s special.”

A joyful Jimmy means the Bay Area bridges are safe, at least for now. But that winning thing, well, it has a lot of work ahead to start fulfilling the promise in which Butler believes.

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