Dukes

Nekias Duncan breaks down the 2022 NBA Finals between the Celtics and Warriors from a multitude of angles.

2022 NBA Finals Scouting Report: How the Celtics and Warriors match up

The Tyrese Haliburton era is well on its way in Indianapolis, which means it&rsquo;s likely time to say adios to Malcolm Brogdon in an Indiana Pacers uniform. Brogdon is one of the more <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/five-nba-players-who-feel-destined-to-be-traded-this-offseason" target="_blank" rel="noopener">obvious trade candidates in the NBA this offseason</a> thanks to his consistent injury issues and Haliburton&rsquo;s quick emergence. Despite Brogdon's missed games, he will still attract interest from rival teams.
During Brogdon&rsquo;s three-year tenure with the Pacers, he averaged 18.9 points, 6.3 assists, 5.1 rebounds and 0.8 steals per game on a 55.3 True Shooting percentage. Brogdon always produced when he was on the court for Indiana, but his availability was an issue. Going forward, it&rsquo;s going to be hard for Brogdon to shed the &ldquo;injury prone&rdquo; label because it&rsquo;s been an issue dating back to his collegiate career at the University of Virginia.
Aside from injury concerns, Brogdon&rsquo;s market will be robust with playofff or championship-hopeful teams lining up for his services. As a versatile multi-positional defender, connective playmaker and secondary scorer, Brogdon can really help a team that's going in the opposite direction as the rebuilding Pacers.
Without further ado, let&rsquo;s go ahead and dive into the most realistic trade packages Indiana could expect for Brogdon this offseason. As Indiana turns the page to Haliburton, it&rsquo;s time to extract some value from a potential Brogdon deal.
Phoenix Suns
Pacers receive: Landry Shamet, Dario Saric, 2024 1st-round draft pick (lottery protected)
Suns receive: Malcolm Brogdon, 2022 No. 31 pick
Phoenix&rsquo;s lack of guard depth was exposed throughout the playoffs. They simply can&rsquo;t rely on Cameron Payne anymore, who was a DNP-CD when it mattered most in the Western Conference Semifinals. Phoenix flirted with the idea of chasing Brogdon before signing Ricky Rubio back in 2019. Three years later, bringing Brogdon to the Valley as the Suns&rsquo; short-term backup and long-term fit alongside Devin Booker is a home run transaction.
Also, there has been some buzz that the Suns are trying to get into the 2022 NBA Draft. They have met with multiple players projected to be selected in the mid-to-late first round, including LSU&rsquo;s Tari Eason, Ohio State&rsquo;s E.J. Liddell and Duke&rsquo;s Wendell Moore. Adding any of those prospects will be impossible without adding a pick. The Suns could always buy an early second-round pick for $3 million, but that&rsquo;s never been their way of thinking.
Is this where Suns GM James Jones could get creative to snag a championship piece at discounted value? Brogdon and Chris Paul sharing minutes is a dream scenario for Phoenix since all 48 minutes at point guard would provide well above-average production. Also, we could see three-guard lineups galore thanks to Brogdon&rsquo;s versatility.
In this scenario, Indiana would add a shooter in Shamet who only has two guaranteed years left on his extension. Maybe Shamet could be their Buddy Hield replacement if they also decide to trade him soon. Adding a future first for Brogdon is the right risk for Indiana to take as well.
Utah Jazz
Pacers receive: Mike Conley, Jared Butler, 2025 2nd-round pick
Jazz receive: Malcolm Brogdon
The Jazz desperately need to shake things up. Stagnation is on the horizon in Salt Lake City, if it hasn&rsquo;t reached that point already. Utah may blow it up this offseason, but even if they don't, they need to do something in order to keep Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert happy long-term.
As we saw during the Jazz&rsquo;s quick postseason exit, Conley seems like a shell of himself. Looking back on that trade now, Utah has to be kicking themselves for surrendering so much for the veteran point guard.
Utah needs to get creative to avoid moving one of Mitchell or Gobert soon, so Conley going back home to Indianapolis makes a lot of sense here. Brogdon is a huge upgrade over Conley, and he helps address a dire need of perimeter defense.
Indiana would add a veteran mentor for Haliburton to lean on for a year since Conley&rsquo;s contract isn&rsquo;t fully guaranteed in 2023-24. Adding a young scoring guard in Butler alongside a future second-round pick might not be enough for the Pacers, but it's at least enough to start negotiations.
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Los Angeles Lakers
Pacers receive: Russell Westbrook, Talen Horton-Tucker, 2023 2nd, 2025 2nd, 2027 1st (lottery protected)
Lakers receive: Malcolm Brogdon, Buddy Hield, Goga Bitadze
This only makes sense if the Pacers are willing to take on the final year of Westbrook&rsquo;s contract, which would have any team second-guessing themselves beforehand. Surprisingly enough, Indiana is actually the betting favorite to land Westbrook if the Lakers offload him this offseason.
The Pacers would need a hefty return in order take on Westbrook while also relinquishing Brogdon and Hield. Adding Horton-Tucker, two future second-round picks and the Lakers&rsquo; next available first-round selection gets the job done. Los Angeles would hate to part with THT and even more draft capital, but Brogdon and Hield are perfect pieces to place alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Who knows, maybe Bitadze slides into the Lakers&rsquo; rotation as the backup center?
Indiana is embracing a full-scale rebuild, and pulling off a move like this would be consistent with that approach.
Minnesota Timberwolves
Pacers receive: D&rsquo;Angelo Russell, No. 19 pick, No. 40 pick
Timberwolves receive: Malcolm Brogdon, Goga Bitadze, No. 31 pick, 2023 2nd (via San Antonio Spurs)
As <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/examining-potential-trade-destinations-for-dangelo-russell" target="_blank" rel="noopener">our Nekias Duncan recently wrote</a>, a D&rsquo;Angelo Russell departure from Minnesota feels imminent this summer. It&rsquo;s another unfortunate turn in the career for Russell, who continues to bounce around the Association, unable to find a long-term home. The fit in Minnesota alongside good friend Karl-Anthony Towns had its moments, but Russell&rsquo;s negatives popped up in the postseason when it mattered most. After being benched in crunch-time situations by head coach Chris Finch and not having his name mentioned in The Athletic&rsquo;s recent story on new executive Tim Connelly, it wouldn't be shocking to see Russell playing elsewhere in 2022-23.
Even with the Pacers already having Haliburton and Chris Duarte, this feels like a spot where they could take a year-long look at Russell as a potential long-term backcourt piece. As a former top-three pick, Russell would bring more fanfare to the Pacers&rsquo; rebuild. And if he meshes well alongside Haliburton, Russell could become a long-term piece in Indiana and finally find a home.
From the Timberwolves&rsquo; point of view, this makes a whole lot of sense. Brogdon is a much better fit alongside Towns and Anthony Edwards, as he's easily able to slide into the No. 3 scoring role while providing an ideal complementary low-usage skill set. Taking a flier on Bitadze, a former top-20 pick, is also interesting, and as he could back up Towns.
Miami Heat
Pacers receive: Duncan Robinson, Max Strus, 2023 1st (lottery protected)
Heat receive: Malcolm Brogdon
As we&rsquo;ve seen unfold late in the postseason, Miami needs to find another offensive creator. Simply put, the Heat need more weapons to compete with the NBA&rsquo;s current juggernauts. Luckily for Miami, some much-needed flexibility could be on the way.
The Duncan Robinson contract looks like a disaster, but what if they could use his bloated salary and some future draft capital to bring in an immediate impact piece? Brogdon feels like the perfect remedy for Miami since he can take playmaking pressure off of Jimmy Butler, Tyler Herro and Kyle Lowry. Brogdon and Lowry could split minutes, which is a huge benefit for both players and would help keep them fresh and out of the training room.
For Indiana, they could be comfortable taking on Robinson&rsquo;s contract with all of their salary-cap space currently available. Adding Strus and a draft pick could make this deal worth it for the Pacers.
All of a sudden, Miami is now in a strong position to make another deep postseason push with Brogdon onboard for 2022-23 and beyond.
***
Every team in the NBA needs shooting, defensive versatility and playmaking. Even with his injury history, Brogdon would be well worth the risk for any team looking to take the next step forward.
If Brogdon is able to stay healthy, adding him at this price could be a coup for whichever team is next after Milwaukee and Indiana.
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With the Tyrese Haliburton era blossoming for the Pacers, Malcolm Brogdon is one of the most logical NBA trade candidates.

Examining potential trade destinations for Malcolm Brogdon

The Eastern Conference field is set, as the Boston Celtics are set to take on the top-seeded Miami Heat for the second time in three years.&nbsp;
This series will have everything you want. Superstar power (Jayson Tatum, Jimmy Butler) and star power (Bam Adebayo, Jaylen Brown).&nbsp;Former All-Stars that can still give you moments &mdash; hello Al Horford, Victor Oladipo and, if healthy, Kyle Lowry.
It also includes fearless role players who can win you a game. For Boston, that's primarily Marcus Smart, Grant Williams and Robert Williams III. Miami has the Sixth Man of the Year in Tyler Herro, an unrelenting PJ Tucker, as well as a stable of undrafted guards in Max Strus and Gabe Vincent.
On the sidelines, Celtics head coach Ime Udoka has been pressing buttons as well as anyone since the turn of the calendar year. Erik Spoelstra has had a strong argument as the NBA's best coach for nearly half a decade. That battle should be a pleasure, especially on the defensive end.&nbsp;
I&rsquo;m not a coach &mdash; I'm just a pun-loving basketball fan with a hankering for film breakdowns. But instead of a traditional series preview, I decided to go into the basketball trenches and devise game plans for both teams. The tone of this two-part series will be a little more informal, but it will still be informative (at least I hope).
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Without further ado, here is what to look for in the East Finals between the Miami Heat and Boston Celtics.
Miami's Defensive Matchups
Gabe Vincent &mdash;&gt; Marcus Smart
Jimmy Butler &mdash;&gt; Jaylen Brown
PJ Tucker &mdash;&gt; Jayson Tatum
Max Strus &mdash;&gt; Grant Williams
Bam Adebayo &mdash;&gt; Al Horford
Boston's Defensive Matchups
Jayson Tatum &mdash;&gt; Gabe Vincent
Marcus Smart &mdash;&gt; Max Strus
Jaylen Brown &mdash;&gt; Jimmy Butler&nbsp;
Al Horford &mdash;&gt; PJ Tucker
Grant Williams &mdash;&gt; Bam Adebayo
We saw these matchups in the most recent outing (March 30). I'd say it's a pretty safe bet this holds to start the series.
Boston's cross-matching intrigues me more than the inverse. Tatum taking Vincent allows him to roam a bit &mdash; unless/until Vincent bombs away from three. Putting Smart on Strus is a great way to take advantage of his screen navigation while eliminating Miami's opening script on offense. The Heat tend to open things up with movement sets to get Strus going early.&nbsp;
Keep an eye on the Williams-Adebayo matchup. Grant has taken on Kevin Durant and Giannis Antetokounmpo in consecutive rounds, and has done so with success. His blend of mobility and strength could bother Adebayo, and those same traits can turn any pick-and-roll involving Adebayo into a switch.
The Battleground: Paint Touches
At their cores, the Heat and Celtics are switchy groups. In fact, they were&nbsp;the&nbsp;switchiest groups in the NBA &mdash; the Celtics ranked first in on-ball switches per 100 possessions (28.8), while the Heat ranked second (28.7), per Second Spectrum. It will be their primary method of flattening out each other's offenses, hoping to bring the game down into the mud.
With neither team playing drop coverage that often &mdash; the Heat and Celtics ranked 26th and 25th in drop rate, respectively &mdash; it'll be interesting to see who can create openings downhill.&nbsp;
If there's a difference between the two, it's Miami's willingness to dial up the pressure. They'll bust out a full-court press. They're not afraid to trap, particularly if there's only one star on the court. The help is&nbsp;aggressive. That leads to a ton of three-point attempts &mdash; the Heat ranked dead last in three-point rate allowed &mdash; but eighth in opponent rim rate.&nbsp;
The Celtics&nbsp;can&nbsp;do that stuff, but generally don't have to thanks to their collective size and screen navigation up top. They effectively cut off the rim (No. 2 in opponent rim rate) and&nbsp;they're able to force opponents into more mid-range shots. Only the Phoenix Suns and Washington Wizards allowed a larger share of mid-range shots than the Celtics this season.
Can the Heat find enough cracks to get into the paint and generate good looks from there? Can the Celtics hit enough threes &mdash; because they will be there &mdash; to loosen things up inside? We shall see.
Celtics' Team Stats (and Boston's stats vs. Miami)&nbsp;
<ul>
<li>Offensive Rating: 113.6 (108.6)</li>
<li>True Shooting Percentage: 57.8% (56.7%)</li>
<li>Assist Percentage: 60.9% (60.9%)</li>
<li>Turnover Rate: 13.9% (12.2%)</li>
<li>Pace: 97.26 (96.33)</li>
<li>Free-Throw Attempts: 20.9 (23.3)</li>
<li>Free-Throw Percentage: 81.6% (74.3%)</li>
<li>Three-Point Attempts: 37.1 (40.0)</li>
<li>Three-Point Percentage: 35.6% (35.8%)</li>
<li>Offensive Rebounds: 9.8 (9.0)</li>
</ul>
Celtics' Play Type Breakdown
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/screen-shot-2022-05-15-at-7-13-51-pm_lg.png" alt="" width="1113" height="242" />
Heat's Team Stats (and Miami's stats vs. Boston)
<ul>
<li>Offensive Rating: 113.0 (95.8)</li>
<li>True Shooting Percentage: 58.4% (51.0)</li>
<li>Assist Percentage: 64.4% (70.0%)</li>
<li>Turnover Rate: 14.9% (19.1%)</li>
<li>Pace: 96.53 (96.33)</li>
<li>Free-Throw Attempts: 21.4 (18.0)</li>
<li>Free-Throw Percentage: 80.8% (68.5%)</li>
<li>Three-Point Attempts: 35.8 (39.7)</li>
<li>Three-Point Percentage: 37.9% (32.8%)</li>
<li>Offensive Rebounds: 10.5 (9.3)</li>
</ul>
Heat's Play Type Breakdown&nbsp;
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/screen-shot-2022-05-17-at-9-02-05-am_lg.png" alt="" width="1114" height="241" />
WHAT TO WATCH FOR: EARLY OFFENSE
Lowry's absence looms large for the Heat.&nbsp;
He was the catalyst for their elite transition attack. His touchdown outlet passes put pressure on opponents to get back immediately after possessions end. Early clock pull-up threes became a staple during his time in Toronto; much of that carried over in Miami. Lowry converted 48.0% of his transition threes, including a ridiculous 57.1% clip on pull-ups per Second Spectrum.
With him out for at least Game 1, I'd expect Miami to be even more selective with its pushing. Expect a heavy dose of early-clock dribble handoffs.
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The Celtics weren't a team that ran often either; they ranked 21st in transition frequency (14% of possessions), not too far behind the Heat's middling mark (14.5%) per Cleaning The Glass. The issue is they didn't come close to the Heat's efficiency when they did push. The Heat led the NBA in transition scoring (1.33 points per possession), while the Celtics were 26th (1.21 PPP).
Boston is more likely to feed one of its bigs early as part of the team's Delay series. In those, Horford (or Williams III) will receive the ball in the middle of the floor while the other Celtics screen for each other. This is a very pindown-heavy group.&nbsp;
The tell is when their center (Horford or Williams III) gets an early pass above the break and acts as a handoff hub. It can be as simple as a pair of pindowns &mdash; Tatum receiving one on a side, Brown getting one on the other &mdash; to stretch the defense thin.
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The Celtics can flow into Chicago action &mdash; a pindown into a handoff. It may be a single pindown from the wing to get one of the Jays an early shot or, if the three isn't there, to set up an empty-corner ball-screen.
It'll be important for the Heat to be locked in.
KEY QUESTIONS
1) Who will win the zone battle?
Not to rehash the top, but we know how both teams want to operate defensively. Switch just about any screen; keep the ball in front. Shade off of (perceived) non-shooters to help cut off driving lanes. Bring the game into the gutter.
Both teams have creation-plus-shooting combos that can bend things if they're clicking. The Celtics may be okay giving up mid-rangers, but that's typically where Butler wants to operate. The Heat may be okay trading rim attempts for threes, but how safe of a bet is that with Horford and Williams shooting a combined 21 of 47 (44.7%) on corner triples?
If either team catches a rhythm, the zone will be broken out.
(Quietly, the Heat weren't a good zone offense during the regular season [0.96 PPP, 19th] either.)
As beautiful as the Heat offense looks when they're screening and cutting all over the place, they have possessions where ill-timed cuts can make life easier for an opposing defense. That's exacerbated when teams go zone &mdash; you want to force a zone defender to choose between two players, so improper spacing allows the defense to muck things up without much work.
It's odd to watch the Heat go haywire in the middle of the floor. When a zone is run against their second unit, you feel the lack of playmaking with Dewayne Dedmon at the 5 in place of Adebayo. But with the starters, you sometimes get weird bouts of passiveness.&nbsp;
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That's a darn good counter to a 2-3 zone. Butler gets right into his comfort zone with minimal pressure and... kicks out of it? Huh?
On the flip side, this could be a real problem area for Boston though, a team that ranked 27th in zone offense (0.9 PPP) during the regular season per Synergy. And the Heat don't just&nbsp;go zone; they go to all kinds of zones.&nbsp;
A traditional 2-3, a 3-2, a 1-2-2. They'll go full-court press, then drop into a zone. There are exotic looks, and then there's the Miami Heat defense.
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Much like the Celtics had to quickly adapt to Milwaukee's physicality after their matchup with the Brooklyn Nets, there may be an adjustment period when the Heat throw out their zone. Per Second Spectrum, the Celtics have seen just five (5) zone possessions in the postseason. You might get that in the first six minutes of Game 1.
2) Who&nbsp;can&nbsp;beat drop coverage when they get it?
This can be somewhat of a Tatum question considering his struggles against the Bucks in Round 2. The numbers weren't great &mdash; the Celtics generated a shade under 0.9 PPP on trips where Tatum saw a drop &mdash; but the film was more key.
He'd often pass up more fruitful mid-range attempts, instead opting to string out ball-screens and isolate against a late switch. He's a good enough shot-maker to make that work, but it's a tough diet to live on. And against a team like Miami, I'm not sure how many pockets he can afford to pass up. I've written about his <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-rumors-miami-heat-boston-celtics-eastern-conference-finals-playoffs-breakdown-preview-how-stop-defend" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lack of a floater before</a>; per Synergy, he's converted just 2 of his 10 runners this postseason, and I'm not sure which number is more concerning.
But this is really a Heat question. Tyler Herro struggled against the Celtics when faced with drop coverage. Between Smart and Derrick White at the point of attack, Herro couldn't consistently shake free. And even when he did, Boston did a good job of providing help at the nail to at least make Herro uncomfortable.
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This is an obvious thing to say, but the Heat are going to need him to get going. Aside from (this version of) Butler, Herro's their best shot-creator in the half-court. He'll need to take pressure off Butler, and carry some of the load when he's heading the second unit.
Whenever Lowry is back, he'll need to channel the same aggression from the last meeting (23 points, 16 shot attempts, 12 threes) if the Celtics drop against him. Ditto for Vincent, whose jumper has quietly fallen off a cliff during the postseason.
3) Derrick White or Victor Oladipo?
At the risk of sounding reductive, these may be the true X-factors of the series.
Both players offer fiesty on-ball defense across multiple positions. Both can juice their offenses in the pick-and-roll, particularly with their downhill chops. And both will likely be ignored when they're stationed off the ball, adding a layer of difficulty for their teammates to generate efficient offense.&nbsp;
White hounded Herro when matched up against them, and found enough utility as a ball-mover for the Celtics to win his minutes +11 in 32 minutes during his lone outing vs. Miami).&nbsp;
Oladipo missed all of the regular-season meetings, but he'll likely see Boston's third-best defender when sharing the court with Miami's other creators. His rim pressure is valuable, but his three-point shooting (27.3% this postseason) can swing things.
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STRAY THOUGHTS
<ul>
<li>Butler vs. Tatum is gonna be a freakin'&nbsp;battle&nbsp;in this series. Before either of these guys have an off night against an elite defense, let's commend them for the production they've shown in the playoffs so far. Studs. Superstars.&nbsp;</li>
<li>I touched on it some during the matchup section, but man do the Heat need an aggressive Bam Adebayo in this one. Horford and both Williams pose different issues than Daniel Theis did during the 2020 series. But, in theory, Adebayo should have a size, strength or quickness advantage against anybody he faces. He can't afford to short-circuit with the ball in his hands. His regular-season averages (14.0 points, 9.7 shot attempts) will not cut it.</li>
<li>This could be yet another Jaylen Brown series. He ripped the Heat during their three-game series (25/6/3, 47.8% from three on 7.7 attempts). And aside from a putrid Game 1 against the Bucks, he's been a metronome for Boston this postseason. If the Heat tilt too much attention to Tatum, Brown should have some cracks to attack.</li>
<li>With Williams III expected to proceed without a minutes restriction, I don't think Boston needs to trot Theis out there. Between Horford and the two Williams, they should have more than enough at the 5.</li>
<li>Speaking of 5s, I wonder how much of a leash Dedmon gets in this series. He hasn't given Miami much offensively &mdash; he's not nearly the same roll threat, and there's even been an uptick in illegal screens for him &mdash; but there's value in his rebounding. If this truly turns into a muck fest, extra possessions will be more valuable than usual.</li>
<li>On the bench guard front, let's see how much burn Payton Pritchard gets. He's arguably Boston's best (pull-up) shooter and zone-breaker. He's also going to have the largest target on his back defensively &mdash; especially if he's on the floor at the same time as Butler.</li>
<li>After an 18-perimeter-shot-attempt game from Williams &mdash; in a Game 7! &mdash; I wonder if the volume has gotten to the point where the scouting report officially changes with him. He's shot well from three all season long, but the volume was low enough for teams to feel comfortable helping off of him and daring him to beat them. Let's see if the Heat become the first team to really blink.</li>
<li>Sign me up for all of the defense in this series, man. This is what it's all about.</li>
</ul>
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Nekias Duncan breaks down what to look for in this year's Eastern Conference Finals matchup between the Heat and Celtics.

NBA Scouting Report: What to look for in Heat-Celtics series

The ball bounced twice on each side of the rim before going in.
Kawhi Leonard&rsquo;s nearly impossible game-winning fadeaway jumper over the outstretched right arm of Joel Embiid ended a seven-game thriller of a 2018-19 Eastern Conference Semifinals. The series saw the Toronto Raptors escape with a 92-90 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers, in large part due to underwhelming performances from Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons and Tobias Harris all series long. <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/jimmy-butler-is-a-16game-player">Those were expounded upon here just last month</a>. In fairness to Embiid, similar to these 2022 playoffs, <a href="https://www.si.com/nba/2019/05/07/joel-embiid-76ers-injuries-illness-timeline-history-playoffs">he was injured as hell.</a> He tried his best.
Jimmy Butler wasn&rsquo;t perfect for the Sixers that spring, but he was a hell of a lot better. He averaged 22.0 points, 7.0 rebounds and 5.6 assists in the series, with by far the team&rsquo;s best offensive rating at 118, not counting Amir Johnson who played a mere (ha, get it? Never mind) 20 minutes. Yet and still, the Sixers were right there, and had Leonard&rsquo;s shot missed, who knows if the Sixers would&rsquo;ve went on to defeat the Milwaukee Bucks and Golden State Warriors as the Raptors did en route to their first NBA championship?
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Regardless, those four bounces led to Butler&rsquo;s fate: he was signed-and-traded to the Miami Heat that very summer. Instead of keeping Butler, the Sixers chose Simmons, Harris, Brett Brown and Al Horford.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Jimmy Butler: &ldquo;Tobias Harris over me.&rdquo; <a href="https://t.co/23K3HgaA0R">pic.twitter.com/23K3HgaA0R</a>
&mdash; Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheHoopCentral/status/1524965729165901824?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 13, 2022</a></blockquote>

<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>

Simmons and Harris both<a href="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2843932-ben-simmons-76ers-agree-on-5-year-170m-max-contract-extension">&nbsp;received max contract extensions</a> <a href="https://www.inquirer.com/sixers/tobias-harris-signs-sixers-76ers-contract-20190710.html">in the summer Butler was dealt to Miami</a>.
Miami was where Butler wanted to go. <a href="https://www.insider.com/jimmy-butler-wanted-join-heat-dwyane-wade-conversation-2020-9">They were his top choice</a>.
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1. Since &ldquo;why&rsquo;d the Sixers let Jimmy Butler go?!&rdquo; is a big topic today, figured I&rsquo;d do a thread on what I&rsquo;ve put together from the past few years. Some of this I&rsquo;ve written before, some not. Figured would be helpful to put it all in one place. So👇👇👇
&mdash; Yaron Weitzman (@YaronWeitzman) <a href="https://twitter.com/YaronWeitzman/status/1525118168754159617?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 13, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Since Butler became a member of the Heat, the Sixers have still been a playoff team. In the 2019-20 season, which was obviously paused in March due to COVID-19 before resuming in the summer, the Sixers earned the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference and were swept in Round 1 of the playoffs by the Boston Celtics. Simmons didn&rsquo;t play in the playoffs due to injury. Those same Celtics lost to the Heat in six games during the Eastern Conference Finals, and a Butler-led Miami team reached its first NBA Finals since LeBron James&rsquo; 2014 departure. The Heat, who were a five-seed in the East and top three or four for most of the season, lost to the champion Los Angeles Lakers in six games, but not without a historical postseason from Butler.
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In 2020-21, the Sixers were the Eastern Conference&rsquo;s top seed after compiling an impressive 49-23 record in the 72-game season. Unfortunately, they were embarrassingly defeated on their home floor against the fifth-seeded Atlanta Hawks in Round 2. Simmons still hasn&rsquo;t played since, and despite Embiid&rsquo;s play, he was once again let down by those around him.
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Butler and the Heat? Well, after a little seven-week break between the end of the NBA Finals and the beginning of training camp for the 2020-21 season (as opposed to the standard three-plus months even a Finals team would get in a typical league calendar year), the team flamed out and were swept by the Bucks.
Both teams were able to properly reset heading into the 2021-22 season, and as fate would have it, the No. 1 seeded Heat matched up with the No. 4 seeded Sixers in the semifinals. Butler vs. his old team, where Simmons and then-head-coach Brown no longer resided, but Embiid and Harris were among those who remained.
With a 4-2 lead on May 12, 2022, exactly three years after Leonard&rsquo;s four bounces ended Butler&rsquo;s Sixer tenure, he led his team, in a hostile environment that once rooted for his every move, to an emphatic 99-90 victory to end the Sixers&rsquo; season. Sure, 99-90 may not sound like much, but if you watched the game, you saw the Heat grind their way to a 19-4 run to begin the third quarter, mount nine-straight points to begin the fourth and build a 20-point lead as just five minutes remained before the Sixers cut the lead in garbage time.
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In the modern NBA, organizations seem to take on the personality of their stars, for better or worse. But Miami identified one who matched their ethos, and Butler knew it would be the place for him. A place where villains are welcomed, as <a href="https://www.slamonline.com/nba/jimmy-butler-to-joel-embiid-i-know-a-place-where-villains-are-welcome/">he once told Embiid</a>. And a place that is, in their own culture, counter to what their own city is admired for. Miami, to outsiders, is revered for partying, glamour and beaches, but the Heat are respected and occasionally mocked for a culture that is driven by blue-collar work ethic. It's an identity that requires being in &ldquo;Heat shape,&rdquo; playing defense-first, developing undrafted rookies into future rotation players and adding the occasional stars who fit into that identity.&nbsp;
The Heat are also known for their persistent fight, for being a pain in the ass for whoever opposes them and for being an overlooked team that is tailored to those who prioritize winning over highlights.
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James Harden was brought to Philadelphia to lead in moments like these, but he did anything but that. Butler, who had often been compared to Harden as a byproduct of playing similar positions, dropped 32 points with 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 blocks and a steal in a closeout game. Harden had 11 points on 4-for-9 shooting, taking one shot in each of the final two quarters. He said the ball didn't get back to him. That's the guy who had the Sixers' second-highest usage rate in the series. Butler is now averaging 28.7 points, 7.6 rebounds, 5.4 assists, 2.1 steals and on 53/36/81 shooting splits in the playoffs.
Butler doesn&rsquo;t (yet?) have a championship. Most players don&rsquo;t, including many greats, but Butler is a winner, a leader and someone <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=amof84tDBnM">Embiid's career misses dearly for good reason</a>, even while he could look at his bench and see another all-time wing in Harden beside him. But basketball isn&rsquo;t strictly about&nbsp; numbers, or strictly in between the lines, or strictly any one thing. It encompasses everything. And that&rsquo;s what the Sixers and many have failed to realize when assessing Butler&rsquo;s greatness.
But in Philadelphia, exactly three years after it all ended, he had the last laugh.
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Exactly three years after Kawhi Leonard's shot ended Jimmy Butler's last game as a Philadelphia 76er, he returned -- with the organization people made fun of him for joining -- to lead the Miami Heat to the Eastern Conference Finals. And he did it in Philadelphia. Last laugh. <a href="https://t.co/Fzr3Ug73tT">pic.twitter.com/Fzr3Ug73tT</a>
&mdash; Bryan Fonseca 🇵🇷 (@BryanFonsecaNY) <a href="https://twitter.com/BryanFonsecaNY/status/1524925290367025172?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 13, 2022</a></blockquote>

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After falling short of postseason success with Philadelphia, Jimmy Butler showed the Sixers why it was a mistake to let him go.

In Philadelphia, Jimmy Butler gets the last laugh

Every day, BasketballNews.com gives you NBA betting analysis before tip-off. Make sure you subscribe to our daily podcast, &ldquo;Nothing But Bets&rdquo; on&nbsp;<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/nothing-but-bets/id1589799249" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Apple Podcasts</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/6zNxt0NQXPmKuryAdz89m0?si=1038d121100444fd" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Spotify</a>&nbsp;or wherever you listen to podcasts.
Without further ado, let&rsquo;s dive into our favorite NBA spread bets for Wednesday's postseason slate.
Miami Heat (-8) vs. Philadelphia 76ers
Without Joel Embiid, Philadelphia is completely unrecognizable. After being blown out in Game 1, we&rsquo;re expecting more of the same tonight in South Beach. James Harden is already having a tough go of it against Miami&rsquo;s tenacious on-ball defense.
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&mdash; Wednesday, May 04th Philadelphia 76ers @ Miami Heat</blockquote>

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With so much pressure on the Sixers&rsquo; backcourt to deliver, the Heat&rsquo;s all-around effort will simply overwhelm them in this spot. As a best bet for Wednesday&rsquo;s postseason slate, feel comfortable locking in the Heat to cover and eventually win by double-digits.
Pick: Heat -8
Player Props: James Harden over 22.5 points, Bam Adebayo over 19.5 points, Tyrese Maxey over 3.5 assists, Max Strus over 2.5 threes
Phoenix Suns (-6.5) vs. Dallas Mavericks
Somehow, Game 1 ended up being way closer than it should have been. Phoenix still covered, but there were stretches where the top overall seed was dominating Dallas on both ends of the court with ease. The Suns locked-in at that level are simply unstoppable, and it&rsquo;s hard to envision how the Mavericks can keep up with them throughout a long series.
Devin Booker is back to 100% following his strained hamstring, and he&rsquo;s due for a bounce-back performance from an inefficient game on Monday night. All roads are leading to the Suns winning by a wide margin, so lock it in with our projection.
Pick: Suns -6.5
Player Props: Luka Doncic over 33.5 points, Devin Booker over 25.5 points, Deandre Ayton over 18.5 points, Dwight Powell over 3.5 rebounds
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Who are the best bets for Wednesday night's NBA playoff games? We've got you covered!

Best Bets: BasketballNews' NBA picks and fantasy advice for 5/4/22

Every day, BasketballNews.com gives you NBA betting analysis before tip-off. Make sure you subscribe to our daily podcast, &ldquo;Nothing But Bets&rdquo; on&nbsp;<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/nothing-but-bets/id1589799249" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Apple Podcasts</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/6zNxt0NQXPmKuryAdz89m0?si=1038d121100444fd" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Spotify</a>&nbsp;or wherever you listen to podcasts.
Without further ado, let&rsquo;s dive into our favorite NBA spread bets for Tuesday's postseason slate.
Boston Celtics (-5) vs. Milwaukee Bucks
Boston quickly realized that the Bucks are no pushover in Game 1 of its Eastern Conference semifinal series. Giannis Antetokounmpo has a completely different play style compared to Kevin Durant, so being able to be aggressive against the two-time MVP isn&rsquo;t a wise strategy. Even without Khris Middleton, the Bucks were able to operate fine against the Celtics and pull out the victory in the series opener.
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&mdash; Tuesday, May 03rd Milwaukee Bucks @ Boston Celtics</blockquote>

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Will history repeat itself in Game 2? Personally, I view this as a one-possession game, so we&rsquo;re hammering the plus-money spread on Milwaukee here. Bet big on Giannis and the Bucks to keep this game close throughout.
Pick: Bucks +5
Player Props: Giannis Antetokounmpo over 29.5 points, Jayson Tatum over 28.5 points, Bobby Portis over 8.5 rebounds, Robert Williams over 8.5 rebounds
Memphis Grizzlies vs. Golden State Warriors (-2)
Even with monster performances from Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr., Memphis <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/can-the-grizzlies-overcome-their-youth-against-experienced-warriors" target="_blank" rel="noopener">still couldn&rsquo;t pull off the win</a> in Game 1 &mdash; and not taking advantage of Draymond Green&rsquo;s ejection could loom large heading into Tuesday night&rsquo;s tilt as well. The Grizzlies threw their best shot, and it still didn&rsquo;t knock out the Warriors.
Golden State now has all the confidence in the world heading into Game 2, so expect to see Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson step up for the occasion. By heading back home up 2-0 in the series, Golden State winning one more time in Memphis could already be the deciding factor for how the rest of this series plays out. Hammer the Warriors as the road favorites in Memphis.
Pick: Warriors -2
Player Props: Ja Morant over 27.5 points, Stephen Curry over 27.5 points, Desmond Bane over 17.5 points, Draymond Green over 7.5 assists
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Who are the best bets for Tuesday night's NBA playoff games? We've got you covered!

Best Bets: BasketballNews' NBA picks and fantasy advice for 5/3/22

Every day, BasketballNews.com gives you NBA betting analysis before tip-off. Make sure you subscribe to our daily podcast, &ldquo;Nothing But Bets&rdquo; on&nbsp;<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/nothing-but-bets/id1589799249" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Apple Podcasts</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/6zNxt0NQXPmKuryAdz89m0?si=1038d121100444fd" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Spotify</a>&nbsp;or wherever you listen to podcasts.
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Without further ado, let&rsquo;s dive into our favorite NBA spread bets for Monday's postseason slate.
Miami Heat (-7.5) vs. Philadelphia 76ers
Tough sledding is ahead for the Sixers for at least the next two games in Miami, and going up against a tough, versatile Heat team without Joel Embiid is a really bad recipe. The Heat should be able to suffocate the likes of James Harden and Tyrese Maxey on defense to inefficient performances; expect a fired up Jimmy Butler ready for the task.
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&mdash; Wednesday, May 04th Philadelphia 76ers @ Miami Heat</blockquote>

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Miami has the firepower on both ends of the court to make this a nightmare for Philadelphia, especially with no Embiid. This is one of the most confident locks we&rsquo;ve deployed throughout the postseason. Easily hammer the Heat in this spot to cover the 7.5-point spread.
Pick: Heat -7.5
Player Props: Jimmy Butler over 24.5 points, Tyrese Maxey over 21.5 points, Bam Adebayo over 9.5 rebounds, James Harden over 9.5 assists
Phoenix Suns (-5.5) vs. Dallas Mavericks
I&rsquo;m pumped about this series because there are so many intriguing angles to unpack along the way. One of those asks this question: How in the world will the Suns be able to stop Luka Doncic? In the postseason, Doncic cranks it up another level with ease. However, the Mavericks are running into a buzzsaw here with the Suns. Devin Booker is back with no restrictions, plus Chris Paul just put together <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/chris-pauls-masterclass-game-6-performance-the-latest-moment-of-greatness" target="_blank" rel="noopener">one of his best games ever</a> as his 37th birthday quickly approaches. Another element to this matchup that fares well in the Suns&rsquo; favor is a mismatch weapon named Deandre Ayton.
Dallas will have no answer for Ayton throughout this series, so this could be a monster game for the 2018 No. 1 overall pick. Phoenix has the better roster and all-around versatility to negate Dallas immediately out of the gate. Lock in the Suns to pick up the Game 1 win and cover the spread as well.
Pick: Suns -5.5
Player Props: Devin Booker over 24.5 points, Deandre Ayton over 18.5 points, Luka Doncic over 7.5 assists, Dorian Finney-Smith over 4.5 rebounds
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Who are the best bets for Monday night's NBA playoff games? We've got you covered!

Best Bets: BasketballNews' NBA picks and fantasy advice for 5/2/22

The Utah Jazz&rsquo;s 2021-22 season is officially over. The Jazz believed they were a championship contender, but this marks another season ending in disappointment and heartbreak. Now, looking ahead at what&rsquo;s to come in Salt Lake City, massive changes seem to be on the horizon. Whether it be Donovan Mitchell or Rudy Gobert on the move, something&rsquo;s gotta give. Other veterans such as Mike Conley and Bojan Bogdanovic could be on the move too.
While our Bryan Fonseca recently broke down <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/examining-potential-trade-desinations-for-donovan-mitchell-2022" target="_blank" rel="noopener">possible trade destinations for Mitchell</a>, it's seems likely that the Jazz will try to appease their young star shooting guard. Gordon Hayward already broke Utah&rsquo;s heart a few years ago when he left in free agency. If Mitchell requested a trade, it would send shockwaves throughout Utah. Unlike Hayward, Mitchell has star power that transcends Utah and he could potentially lead the team to heights they haven&rsquo;t reached since the 1990s with John Stockton and Karl Malone.
If the Jazz have to move their homegrown three-time Defensive Player of the Year in order to keep Mitchell, I'm almost certain it would happen. It&rsquo;s an unfortunate twist of fate for Gobert, but leaving the Jazz&rsquo;s system might be the best thing for him so he can truly blossom into a true two-way presence.
As seen throughout Utah's first-round series against the Dallas Mavericks, Gobert was ignored or simply used as a decoy more often than not. If Gobert is used on a more consistent basis in a different environment, who knows what he could accomplish as one of the NBA&rsquo;s premier lob threats?
Gobert hitting the trade market would result in a feeding frenzy around the Association. Whether it be title contenders or rebuilding teams who feel close to a massive leap, Gobert could be viewed as the missing piece to the puzzle.
Without further ado, let&rsquo;s dive into five realistic destinations for a Gobert blockbuster deal this offseason.
Chicago Bulls
Chicago knows they&rsquo;re in desperate need of a defensive jolt. Adding Lonzo Ball and Alex Caruso in the backcourt already brought a new identity to the Bulls, who were seemingly allergic to defense before their arrival. Myles Turner has been mentioned as a possible target for Chicago, but the Indiana Pacers are <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/despite-trade-talks-the-pacers-want-to-keep-myles-turner-longterm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> expected to keep him long-term. Why not swing for the fences with Gobert? Acquiring the 29-year-old would be a crown-jewel moment for the organization.&nbsp;
Imagine the possibilities for Chicago with Gobert patrolling the paint with Ball and Caruso hawking the perimeter. It&rsquo;s the perfect complement to offensive dynamos Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan. Chicago&rsquo;s new starting lineup of Ball, Caruso, LaVine, DeRozan and Gobert would seemingly have no holes in it from a two-way perspective.
I absolutely love this idea for Chicago, and they should be blowing up the Jazz&rsquo;s phone this summer if it seems plausible.
Jazz receive: Nikola Vucevic, Patrick Williams, Coby White, draft compensation
Bulls receive: Rudy Gobert
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New York Knicks
The Knicks are bound to blow it up one way or another soon enough. Julius Randle feels like <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/five-nba-players-who-feel-destined-to-be-traded-this-offseason" target="_blank" rel="noopener">one of the most obvious trade candidates</a> to potentially hit the market this offseason. If the Knicks are done with Randle, could they parlay him and other young pieces to acquire Gobert? While <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/examining-potential-trade-desinations-for-donovan-mitchell-2022" target="_blank" rel="noopener">New York would love to land Mitchell</a>, the Knicks should seriously explore a Gobert trade since the organization needs some sort of game-changing move.
The 2022-23 season feels like a make-or-break year for the current Knicks regime. Head coach Tom Thibodeau&rsquo;s seat is red-hot, plus the Knicks&rsquo; front office has to be itching to make some sort of move to change course from a stale build.
Gobert&rsquo;s arrival would signal New York is ready to finally ascend the Eastern Conference standings. Sure, Gobert isn&rsquo;t a true &ldquo;superstar,&rdquo; but he&rsquo;s far and away the most impactful player the Knicks could realistically reel in this offseason. Gobert being the adult in the room for an accelerated rebuild in the Big Apple is a fun scenario, especially as it provides a high-floor outcome immediately.
New York&rsquo;s current roster has ample flexibility to turn it all over again by 2023. If the Knicks clear out all of their contracts with team options and expiring deals, sans the young core, they will have a max slot open for the loaded 2023 free-agent class. Would Gobert and RJ Barrett be able to sell a star on New York? If Barrett takes the leap forward that many expect, that&rsquo;s a fun big/wing duo to build around long-term.
Utah will likely want at least another young asset or two in return as part of this projected blockbuster, but the framework is strong enough to build off it.
Jazz receive: Julius Randle, Alec Burks, Quentin Grimes, draft compensation
Knicks receive: Rudy Gobert
Atlanta Hawks
Want to find the perfect fit for Gobert outside of Utah? The Hawks are the ideal destination for Gobert, who would be able to shine outside of the Jazz&rsquo;s system. Trae Young pick-and-rolls with Gobert would simply be unfair to try to guard, and it would help insulate their star point guard in a better situation.
Atlanta also has the right amount of assets to make this compelling for Utah to pull the trigger. Whether it be John Collins or Bogdan Bogdanovic, either one could be the centerpiece to a Gobert deal. Also, Atlanta has an upcoming expiring salary in Danilo Gallinari with only $5 million guaranteed on his contract. If you throw together Collins, Gallinari and future draft compensation, it could be enough for the Jazz to take negotiations more seriously. Clint Capela could also be re-routed to another team to free up further cap flexibility as well.
For Atlanta, they are ready to win right now with Young leading the way. With Young, Kevin Huerter, De&rsquo;Andre Hunter, Onyeka Okongwu and Jalen Johnson, they have a young core that's ready to take the next step. Gobert brings a star piece to an organization that has the urgency to compete right now in the East, and they'll want to bounce back after how they crashed and burned to end their 2021-22 season. Also, the Hawks had the NBA's 26th-ranked defense this season (allowing 112.1 points per 100 possessions), so adding a three-time Defensive Player of the Year could be just what they need.
It wouldn&rsquo;t be a surprise to see a player of Young&rsquo;s caliber push for Gobert to join him in Atlanta too. With all the trade rumors swirling around Collins since he signed a five-year extension, this deal makes a lot of sense for both sides to explore further.
Jazz receive: John Collins, Danilo Gallinari, future draft compensation
Hawks receive: Rudy Gobert
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Golden State Warriors
Smoke is already forming around this possibility, if the Jazz indeed decide to blow it up in a few months. For the Warriors, it&rsquo;s an all-in move to create another dynasty in the final prime years of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green. With so much young talent climbing the ladder in the reloaded Western Conference, the time is now for the Warriors to make a splashy move to keep themselves atop the standings.
This will be the last time the Warriors can explore potential deals revolving around Andrew Wiggins&rsquo; bloated salary as well. Next season, Wiggins will be on an expiring contract making $33.6 million. With Wiggins, Golden State can immediately enter the conversation for Gobert while also having some intriguing young pieces that could appeal to Utah.
Jonathan Kuminga is likely off limits from the Warriors&rsquo; perspective, flashing real two-way potential throughout this season. However, what about a combination of Moses Moody and James Wiseman? Instantly, Utah can replenish their young core with two immediate contributors to place alongside Mitchell long-term. Throw in some future draft picks and the Jazz might be the ones who are ready to press &ldquo;accept&rdquo; on this hypothetical trade.
Golden State&rsquo;s new-age lineup of dominance would simply be unfair. Take a look at the Warriors&rsquo; projected lineup with Gobert: Curry, Jordan Poole, Thompson, Green and Gobert. With all of the versatility on display here, it could vault Golden State into a different stratosphere entirely.
Jazz receive: Andrew Wiggins, James Wiseman, Moses Moody, future draft compensation
Warriors receive: Rudy Gobert, Rudy Gay
Detroit Pistons
Here&rsquo;s a surprise team that could become very aggressive in the Gobert sweepstakes if the chips fall their way this offseason. No. 1 overall pick Cade Cunningham flashed superstar potential for the Pistons during his rookie campaign, especially after the All-Star break.
If the Pistons get lottery luck once more with a top pick in this year&rsquo;s draft, could they decide to push some chips into the middle of the table for Gobert? Imagine if the Pistons had a trio of Cunningham, Gobert and a top prospect (Jabari Smith or Paolo Banchero?) to build around for the next five-plus years.
For the Pistons, acquiring stars via the draft or trades is the only realistic route to obtaining a game-changing talent. We already saw it on display with their former regime when they traded for Blake Griffin, which led to little progress long-term. Unlike Griffin, Gobert actually fits into the organization's long-term calculus.
From the Jazz&rsquo;s perspective, they would be asking for a heavy return from a team like Detroit. We&rsquo;re talking two key pieces to their core as well as veteran wing Jerami Grant. Would the Pistons feel comfortable moving Saddiq Bey and Isaiah Stewart for Gobert? That may be Utah's asking price.
Jazz receive: Jerami Grant, Saddiq Bey, Isaiah Stewart, Kelly Olynyk, future draft compensation
Pistons receive: Rudy Gobert, Nickeil Alexander-Walker
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Entering a pivotal offseason, will the Utah Jazz blow it up? If so, which teams make sense as a landing spot for Rudy Gobert?

Examining potential trade destinations for Rudy Gobert

Every day, BasketballNews.com gives you NBA betting analysis before tip-off. Make sure you subscribe to our daily podcast, &ldquo;Nothing But Bets&rdquo; on&nbsp;<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/nothing-but-bets/id1589799249" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Apple Podcasts</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/6zNxt0NQXPmKuryAdz89m0?si=1038d121100444fd" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Spotify</a>&nbsp;or wherever you listen to podcasts.
Without further ado, let&rsquo;s dive into our favorite NBA spread bets for the Monday's postseason slate.
Boston Celtics (-4.5) vs. Milwaukee Bucks
This series is going to be a war, folks. Two of the best defenses in the Eastern Conference square off in the conference semifinals, and I can&rsquo;t wait to watch it all unfold. So much star power and intrigue flows from both sides, but the absence of Khris Middleton looms large throughout. For the Celtics, they will be keying in on Giannis Antetokounmpo throughout the series. The question is, can Giannis break through the Celtics&rsquo; elite defense and change this potential outcome entirely? It&rsquo;s certainly something to monitor in Game 1 and beyond, but we&rsquo;re wagering on the home team here. Boston has the all-around versatility to make it tough on Milwaukee, plus Middleton not being out there is a massive blow for the Bucks&rsquo; offensive firepower. In the end, confidently hammer Boston to cover the 4.5-point spread.
Pick: Celtics -4.5
Player Props: Jayson Tatum over 30.5 points, Giannis Antetokounmpo over 30.5 points, Jaylen Brown over 23.5 points, Jrue Holiday over 6.5 assists
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Memphis Grizzlies vs. Golden State Warriors (-2.5)
Will the Warriors immediately steal away homecourt advantage from Memphis in Game 1? Honestly, it&rsquo;s a very real possibility for a multitude of reasons. If Stephen Curry and the Warriors&rsquo; offense find their perimeter mojo early on, Memphis is in big trouble. The Grizzlies certainly can match this explosive potential from the Warriors with Ja Morant and other scorers, but Golden State&rsquo;s new &ldquo;Death Lineup&rdquo; has the opportunity to keep Memphis on its heels early and often. I&rsquo;m predicting this series to go the distance for seven games, but count me in for the Warriors stealing the first of what should be many incredible games.
Pick: Warriors -2.5
Player Props: Ja Morant over 25.5 points, Dillon Brooks over 18.5 points, Darymond Green over 7.5 assists, Stephen Curry over 3.5 threes
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
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As the NBA Conference Semifinals tip-off, "Nothing But Bets" provides its best bets for Sunday picks and player props.

Best Bets: BasketballNews' NBA picks and fantasy advice for 5/1/22

Every day, BasketballNews.com gives you NBA betting analysis before tip-off. Make sure you subscribe to our daily podcast, &ldquo;Nothing But Bets&rdquo; on&nbsp;<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/nothing-but-bets/id1589799249" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Apple Podcasts</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/6zNxt0NQXPmKuryAdz89m0?si=1038d121100444fd" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Spotify</a>&nbsp;or wherever you listen to podcasts.
Without further ado, let&rsquo;s dive into our favorite NBA spread bets for the night portion of Monday's postseason slate.
New Orleans Pelicans vs. Phoenix Suns (-2)
Game 5 felt like a pivotal momentum swing that will maintain into Thursday&rsquo;s massive matchup in New Orleans. Mikal Bridges <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/mikal-bridges-is-a-moving-target" target="_blank" rel="noopener">found his mojo on the offensive end</a> while also shutting down Brandon Ingram and CJ McCollum on the defensive end. If Bridges maintains his offensive aggressiveness, Phoenix is in a great spot to close out this series. Also, Chris Paul is due for one of those vintage CP3 performances. In potential close-out situations, Paul shows up to the utmost degree.
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&nbsp;
&mdash; Thursday, April 28th Phoenix Suns @ New Orleans Pelicans</blockquote>

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Phoenix has the advantages all across the court. Expect Bridges to lock down Ingram once more to an inefficient clip too. Hammer the Suns to easily cover the 2-point spread.
Pick: Suns -2
Player Props: Brandon Ingram over 25.5 points, Jonas Valanciunas over 12.5 rebounds, Chris Paul over 11.5 assists, Mikal Bridges over 1.5 threes
Utah Jazz (-1) vs. Dallas Mavericks
We&rsquo;re going to take full advantage of this golden opportunity presented by sportsbooks. Somehow, Dallas is the underdog, and we&rsquo;re smashing the point spread and moneyline here. Luka Doncic has been fantastic for the Mavericks, plus his backcourt partner in Jalen Brunson is slicing and dicing Utah up.
The Jazz&rsquo;s inconsistencies are showing up at the worst possible time, and their stars have looked gassed at points. In the end, confidently hammer Dallas in the underdog role to win outright.
Pick: Mavericks +1
Player Props: Luka Doncic over 31.5 points, Donovan Mitchell over 25.5 points, Jalen Brunson over 20.5 points, Rudy Gobert over 14.5 rebounds
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
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Who are the best bets for Thursday night's NBA playoff games? We've got you covered!

Best Bets: BasketballNews' NBA picks and fantasy advice for 4/28/22

Every day, BasketballNews.com gives you NBA betting analysis before tip-off. Make sure you subscribe to our daily podcast, &ldquo;Nothing But Bets&rdquo; on&nbsp;<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/nothing-but-bets/id1589799249" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Apple Podcasts</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/6zNxt0NQXPmKuryAdz89m0?si=1038d121100444fd" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Spotify</a>&nbsp;or wherever you listen to podcasts.
<iframe src="https://playlist.megaphone.fm/?e=BNI2890915190" width="100%" height="200" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe>
Without further ado, let&rsquo;s dive into our favorite NBA spread bets for the night portion of Monday's postseason slate.
Milwaukee Bucks (-12) vs. Chicago Bulls
This series is going to end with emphasis on Wednesday night, folks. With Zach LaVine out due to injury, Milwaukee is about to steamroll Chicago into submission. The Bucks have been finding their groove as of late, even without Khris Middleton, thanks to the dominance of Giannis Antetokounmpo. Expect more of the Giannis show to continue on with ease, especially with how massive this spread already is projected.
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&nbsp;
&mdash; Wednesday, April 27th Chicago Bulls @ Milwaukee Bucks</blockquote>

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Even with a 12-point line, confidently hammer Milwaukee in this spot. Not only are they quite simply the better team, but there&rsquo;s no reason why they shouldn&rsquo;t blow out the LaVine-less Bulls.
Pick: Bucks -12
Player Props: Giannis Antetokounmpo over 32.5 points, DeMar DeRozan over 29.5 points, Nikola Vucevic over 10.5 rebounds, Jrue Holiday over 7.5 assists
Golden State Warriors (-8.5) vs. Denver Nuggets
Nikola Jokic helped force a Game 5 back in San Francisco, but this feels like great value to pounce on here for the Warriors. After a hot-and-cold shooting stretch in Denver, the Warriors are poised to have the floodgates open in this matchup. Golden State is also reportedly considering starting their new &ldquo;Death Lineup&rdquo; featuring Stephen Curry, Jordan Poole, Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins and Draymond Green.
Although Jokic will still put his usual MVP-esque numbers up, it won&rsquo;t matter in the end for Denver. Hammer with emphasis the Warriors to easily cover the 8.5-point spread in Game 5.
Pick: Warriors -8.5
Player Props: Nikola Jokic over 30.5 points, Klay Thompson over 23.5 points, Stephen Curry over 3.5 threes, Monte Morris over 1.5 threes
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
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Best Bets: BasketballNews' NBA picks and fantasy advice for 4/27/22

Every day, BasketballNews.com gives you NBA betting analysis before tip-off. Make sure you subscribe to our daily podcast, &ldquo;Nothing But Bets&rdquo; on&nbsp;<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/nothing-but-bets/id1589799249" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Apple Podcasts</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/6zNxt0NQXPmKuryAdz89m0?si=1038d121100444fd" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Spotify</a>&nbsp;or wherever you listen to podcasts.
Without further ado, let&rsquo;s dive into our favorite NBA spread bets for the night portion of Monday's postseason slate.
Memphis Grizzlies (-6) vs. Minnesota Timberwolves
This series has been so fun to watch come together, and it now shifts back to Memphis tied up heading into Game 5. Both the Grizzlies and Timberwolves have certain advantages over each other, but they are also very similar in their DNA as well. Not only can they explode on the offensive end, but the defense can be surprisingly good at points as well. On Tuesday night, this feels like the perfect opportunity for Ja Morant to remind everyone just how special of a player he truly is.
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&nbsp;
&mdash; Tuesday, April 26th Minnesota Timberwolves @ Memphis Grizzlies</blockquote>

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After struggling in his last outing, we&rsquo;re forecasting Morant and his backcourt partner Desmond Bane to light up the scoreboard. Projecting this series to end in seven, the home team gets the nod here to win and cover the spread.
Pick: Grizzlies -6
Player Props: Ja Morant over 26.5 points, Anthony Edwards over 23.5 points, Desmond Bane over 3.5 threes, Karl-Anthony Towns over 1.5 threes
Phoenix Suns (-6.5) vs. New Orleans Pelicans
What a weird turn this series has taken since Devin Booker exited due to a strained left hamstring in Game 2. Without Booker, the Suns are struggling to find any sort of offensive consistency. Meanwhile, the Pelicans have all the momentum on their side behind a masterclass playoff debut from Brandon Ingram. However, in Game 5, we&rsquo;re rolling with the home team to win outright and cover the 6.5-point spread.
Chris Paul is due for a solid outing, especially after he was put in clamps by underrated rookie Jose Alvarado in Game 4. Behind a big bounce-back performance from Paul, plus some of the Suns&rsquo; shooters finally hitting three-pointers, lock in the Suns -6.5 with confidence.
Pick: Suns -6.5
Player Props: Brandon Ingram over 26.5 points, Deandre Ayton over 21.5 points, Chris Paul over 12.5 assists, Jonas Valanciunas over 12.5 rebounds
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
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Best Bets: BasketballNews' picks and fantasy advice for 4/26/22

Every day, BasketballNews.com gives you NBA betting analysis before tip-off. Make sure you subscribe to our daily podcast, &ldquo;Nothing But Bets&rdquo; on&nbsp;<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/nothing-but-bets/id1589799249" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Apple Podcasts</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/6zNxt0NQXPmKuryAdz89m0?si=1038d121100444fd" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Spotify</a>&nbsp;or wherever you listen to podcasts.
Without further ado, let&rsquo;s dive into our favorite NBA spread bets for the night portion of Monday's postseason slate.
Philadelphia 76ers (-8) vs. Toronto Raptors
Without Fred VanVleet in Game 5, the Raptors&rsquo; chances of forcing another game in this series feel bleak. Joel Embiid is still putting up numbers, even with torn ligaments in his thumb. Also, with VanVleet out, the Sixers hold a massive backcourt advantage thanks to James Harden and Tyrese Maxey.
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&nbsp;
&mdash; Monday, April 25th Toronto Raptors @ Philadelphia 76ers</blockquote>

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In the end, we&rsquo;re confidently hammering Philadelphia to wrap up this series on its home court. Behind big outings from their superstars, the Sixers move on to the second round while also covering the rather large 8-point spread.
Pick: Sixers -8
Player Props: Joel Embiid over 27.5 points, Pascal Siakam over 24.5 points, James Harden over 20.5 points, Gary Trent Jr. over 19.5 points
Dallas Mavericks (-2.5) vs. Utah Jazz
Outside of the battle between the Phoenix Suns and New Orleans Pelicans, this has been my favorite series to watch this postseason. Luka Doncic being back for the Mavericks helps change their immediate and long-term postseason outlook, especially for this nip-and-tuck series ongoing with the Jazz. Utah needs to see Donovan Mitchell and Mike Conley find some sort of offensive consistency soon, or they&rsquo;re in big trouble if Utah wants to advance further in the Western Conference.
Jalen Brunson continues to be a revelation for the Mavericks, and we&rsquo;re betting big on him stepping up again on Monday night. Hammer Dallas to cover the 2.5-point spread behind fun outings from Doncic and Brunson.
Pick: Mavericks -2.5
Player Props: Luka Doncic over 30.5 points, Donovan Mitchell over 28.5 points, Jalen Brunson over 20.5 points, Bojan Bogdanovic over 2.5 threes
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
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Best Bets: BasketballNews' picks and fantasy advice for 4/25/22

Every day, BasketballNews.com gives you NBA betting analysis before tip-off. Make sure you subscribe to our daily podcast, &ldquo;Nothing But Bets&rdquo; on&nbsp;<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/nothing-but-bets/id1589799249" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Apple Podcasts</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/6zNxt0NQXPmKuryAdz89m0?si=1038d121100444fd" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Spotify</a>&nbsp;or wherever you listen to podcasts.
Without further ado, let&rsquo;s dive into our favorite NBA spread bets for the night portion of Sunday's postseason slate.
Atlanta Hawks vs. Miami Heat (-1.5)
Trae Young&rsquo;s Game 3 heroics led to an intriguing rubber match on tap for Sunday night&rsquo;s NBA playoff action. If the Hawks can somehow tie this series up against Miami, a lot of scenarios could soon unfold here. However, we&rsquo;re not forecasting that to happen. In the end, confidently hammer the Heat to take a 3-1 series lead. If Jimmy Butler gets going again offensively, plus Young is stymied on the offensive end, Miami should be able to escape Atlanta with a victory. The Heat&rsquo;s well-balanced two-way attack proves too much for the Hawks to handle in a pivotal playoff game.
Pick: Heat -1.5
Player Props: Trae Young over 26.5 points, Jimmy Butler over 24.5 points, Bam Adebayo over 8.5 rebounds, Kevin Huerter over 2.5 threes
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New Orleans Pelicans vs. Phoenix Suns (-2)
No Devin Booker, no problem for the Phoenix Suns in Game 3 as they handled business on the road in New Orleans. Chris Paul and Deandre Ayton carried the load just fine for Phoenix, so why not lock in the same idea for Game 4? The Suns are the far more talented team compared to New Orleans, even without Booker. If Ayton once again dominates Jonas Valanciunas inside, the Pelicans are in trouble. In the Pelicans&rsquo; lone win in Game 2, it was due to unsustainably hot three-point shooting alongside attacking the glass recklessly. If the Suns play within their system, they will head back to the Valley with a 3-1 series lead, even without their best player. Hammer as a best bet of the day Suns -2 over the Pelicans.
Pick: Suns -2
Player Props: Brandon Ingram over 25.5 points, CJ McCollum over 25.5 points, Chris Paul over 12.5 assists, Cameron Johnson over 2.5 threes
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
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For a loaded NBA postseason slate, "Nothing But Bets" drops off their favorite picks against the spread and player props.

Best Bets: BasketballNews' picks and fantasy advice for 4/24/22

Every day, BasketballNews.com gives you NBA betting analysis before tip-off. Make sure you subscribe to our daily podcast, &ldquo;Nothing But Bets&rdquo; on&nbsp;<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/nothing-but-bets/id1589799249" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Apple Podcasts</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/6zNxt0NQXPmKuryAdz89m0?si=1038d121100444fd" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Spotify</a>&nbsp;or wherever you listen to podcasts.
<iframe src="https://playlist.megaphone.fm/?e=BNI1998002662" width="100%" height="200" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe>
Without further ado, let&rsquo;s dive into our favorite NBA spread bets for the night portion of Friday's postseason slate.
Chicago Bulls vs. Milwaukee Bucks (-2.5)
Losing Khris Middleton to a sprained MCL is going to hurt the Bucks, but Giannis Antetokounmpo has shown in the past he can carry teams on his back singlehandedly. Forecasting a monster outing for Giannis in Game 3, we&rsquo;re rolling with the Bucks to win and cover the 2.5-point spread on the road.
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&nbsp;
&mdash; Friday, April 22nd Milwaukee Bucks @ Chicago Bulls</blockquote>

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If Giannis gets going early, it&rsquo;s hard to envision Chicago stopping this freight train. The upcoming duel between the two-time MVP and DeMar DeRozan will be must-watch, but in the end, feel confident rolling with the defending champions here.
Pick: Bucks -2.5
Player Props: Giannis Antetokounmpo over 34.5 points, DeMar DeRozan over 29.5 points, True Holiday over 8.5 assists, Alex Caruso over 4.5 assists
New Orleans Pelicans vs. Phoenix Suns (-2.5)
Injuries are becoming an early storyline to this postseason slate. Middleton is out for the Bucks, and now the NBA&rsquo;s best team lost its superstar player for potentially the rest of their series. Devin Booker is out probably the next two or three weeks due to a mild hamstring strain. Booker&rsquo;s <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/devin-bookers-hamstring-injury-shifts-momentum-as-suns-prepare-for-tough-battle-with-pelicans" target="_blank" rel="noopener">history with hamstring injuries is concerning</a>, and it popping up now <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/with-no-devin-booker-the-phoenix-suns-will-need-a-lift" target="_blank" rel="noopener">could be looming all postseason long for Phoenix</a>.
The Pelicans are such a scrappy group, but this feels like the perfect time to wager on Phoenix. The Suns are a very well-balanced team on both ends of the court, and it should show up in a big-time manner on Friday night in New Orleans. Hammer with emphasis Suns -2.5 over the Pelicans.
Pick: Suns -2.5
Player Props: Brandon Ingram over 25.5 points, Jonas Valanciunas over 12.5 rebounds, Chris Paul over 11.5 assists, Cameron Johnson over 2.5 threes
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Looking to go to the hottest concerts, sports, theater &amp; family shows near you? Get 100% guaranteed tickets to more than 125,000 live events from TicketSmarter, the official ticket marketplace of BasketballNews.com. <a href="https://www.ticketsmarter.com/?utm_source=basketballnewscom&amp;utm_medium=tsaff&amp;utm_campaign=referral" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Order online now</a>!

Best Bets: BasketballNews' picks and fantasy advice for 4/22/22

Every day, BasketballNews.com gives you NBA betting analysis before tip-off. Make sure you subscribe to our daily podcast, &ldquo;Nothing But Bets&rdquo; on&nbsp;<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/nothing-but-bets/id1589799249" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Apple Podcasts</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/6zNxt0NQXPmKuryAdz89m0?si=1038d121100444fd" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Spotify</a>&nbsp;or wherever you listen to podcasts.
<iframe src="https://playlist.megaphone.fm/?e=BNI9213996071" width="100%" height="200" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe>
Without further ado, let&rsquo;s dive into our favorite NBA spread bets for the night portion of Thursday's postseason slate.
Utah Jazz (-7.5) vs. Dallas Mavericks
The pessimism surrounding Luka Doncic&rsquo;s immediate playing time is obvious from Dallas. Reading the tea leaves, Doncic will probably be out for Game 3 due to a calf strain suffered in the Mavericks&rsquo; regular season finale. Jalen Brunson has <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-stats-notebook-jalen-brunson-is-in-the-drivers-seat" target="_blank" rel="noopener">put on a show</a> in Doncic&rsquo;s place, but this series flipping back to the raucous environment in Salt Lake City could change things up.
Donovan Mitchell is poised for a big breakout performance, plus Rudy Gobert&rsquo;s defensive dominance is always a looming factor. In the end, hammer the Jazz to cover -7.5 over Dallas as a Best Bet.
Pick: Jazz -7.5
Player Props: Donovan Mitchell over 29.5 points, Jalen Brunson over 24.5 points, Rudy Gobert over 15.5 rebounds, Spencer Dinwiddie over 6.5 assists
Denver Nuggets vs. Golden State Warriors (-2.5)
Similar to the Suns series last season, the Nuggets are simply too outmatched here. Golden State&rsquo;s offense has exploded behind a new modern-ady death lineup: Stephen Curry, Jordan Poole, Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins and Draymond Green. With an absurd Offensive Rating above 200 right now, Denver doesn&rsquo;t stand a chance against the Warriors
And with Devin Booker&rsquo;s hamstring now playing a major factor in the Western Conference playoff storylines, Golden State might have a clearer Finals path. Behind a big game from Curry, hammer the Warriors to take the commanding 3-0 series lead.
Pick: Warriors -2.5
Player Props: Nikola Jokic over 29.5 points, Jordan Poole over 22.5 points, Aaron Gordon over 5.5 rebounds, Stephen Curry over 3.5 threes
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Looking to go to the hottest concerts, sports, theater &amp; family shows near you? Get 100% guaranteed tickets to more than 125,000 live events from TicketSmarter, the official ticket marketplace of BasketballNews.com. <a href="https://www.ticketsmarter.com/?utm_source=basketballnewscom&amp;utm_medium=tsaff&amp;utm_campaign=referral" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Order online now</a>!

Best Bets: BasketballNews' picks and fantasy advice for 4/21/22

Every day, BasketballNews.com gives you NBA betting analysis before tip-off. Make sure you subscribe to our daily podcast, &ldquo;Nothing But Bets&rdquo; on&nbsp;<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/nothing-but-bets/id1589799249" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Apple Podcasts</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/6zNxt0NQXPmKuryAdz89m0?si=1038d121100444fd" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Spotify</a>&nbsp;or wherever you listen to podcasts.
Without further ado, let&rsquo;s dive into our favorite NBA spread bets for the night portion of Wednesday's postseason slate.
Boston Celtics (-3.5) vs. Brooklyn Nets
I&rsquo;m expecting this series to go the distance. Both of these teams match up so well, plus the star power throughout is robust. For Game 2, we forecast Brooklyn stealing home-court advantage. If Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving both get going, Boston is in a pickle to take a 2-0 series lead. We&rsquo;ve seen it before that the Nets are nearly unbeatable when this scenario unfolds
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&nbsp;
&mdash; Wednesday, April 20th Brooklyn Nets @ Boston Celtics</blockquote>

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The Celtics can counter with Jayson Tatum, but I&rsquo;m intrigued to see if they can defend Durant beautifully once again. Boston has the advantage with depth, but the dynamic duo for the Nets should take over. Hammer the underdogs here with the plus points.
Pick: Nets +3.5
Player Props: Kevin Durant over 30.5 points, Jayson Tatum over 30.5 points, Kyrie Irving over 27.5 points, Al Horford over 11.5 rebounds
Toronto Raptors vs. Philadelphia 76ers (-1.5)
Philadelphia looks dominant right now. Joel Embiid is doing whatever he wants, plus the backcourt duo of James Harden and Tyrese Maxey continues to mesh spectacularly. Toronto missing Scottie Barnes looms large, and that moment seemingly changed this series. The Raptors&rsquo; lack of size has been a problem already against Embiid, and another fabulous outing seems on the horizon.
When the Sixers&rsquo; trio of Embiid, Harden and Maxey find their rhythm, good luck beating them over a seven-game series. Confidently hammer the road favorites to take a convincing 3-0 series lead. Get your brooms ready, Philadelphia.
Pick: Sixers -1.5
Player Props: Joel Embiid over 31.5 points, James Harden over 9.5 assists, Pascal Siakam over 8.5 rebounds, Fred VanVleet over 3.5 threes
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Best Bets: BasketballNews' picks and fantasy advice for 4/20/22

Four years ago, after winning a third title in four seasons, Draymond Green offered the Golden State Warriors' front office some advice before the 2018 NBA Draft, which included a directive to target &ldquo;16-game players.&rdquo;
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Larry Harris said Draymond Green's given the front office a piece of advice: "There are 82-game players, then there are 16-game players." Draymond's interested in the 16-game (playoff-type) players.
&mdash; Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) <a href="https://twitter.com/anthonyVslater/status/1009170931254624257?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 19, 2018</a></blockquote>

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And although people are sparring daily with FOX Sports personality Nick Wright over his thoughts on Nikola Jokić and LeBron James among others, he <a href="https://twitter.com/getnickwright/status/1516597337698840578" target="_blank" rel="noopener">drew the Green claim</a> as a reaction to Jimmy Butler&rsquo;s epic 45-point game performance Tuesday night in a 115-105 Game 2 victory over the Atlanta Hawks.
If you polled a consensus of NBA Twitter, media, players or front-office people about whether Trae Young is the best player in this series, an educated guess would suggest that those largely outside of Miami (and New York) would vote &ldquo;Yes.&rdquo;
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Some people very flippantly said Trae Young was *easily* the best player in the series. And, yo, I get it ... What Jimmy Butler does on *both* ends isn't flashy, doesn't make highlights, but that dude is a flat-out winner and a star, and he proved it yet again tonight.
&mdash; Bryan Fonseca 🇵🇷 (@BryanFonsecaNY) <a href="https://twitter.com/BryanFonsecaNY/status/1516598814643310592?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 20, 2022</a></blockquote>

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And that&rsquo;s understandable, right? Young is a superstar offensive talent who projects to be a perennial All-Star and an All-NBA challenger, if healthy, for much of his prime. But also in doing so, perhaps it ignores what could be brought on the other end of the floor by Butler, who is at least a candidate to make an All-Defensive Team for a sixth time in nine seasons.
(I affectionately refer to Butler as the Ed Reed of the NBA because of his elite ability at playing free safety. His running mate Bam Adebayo is Darrelle Revis, for what it&rsquo;s worth.)
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Whether you prefer an offensive-production machine who routinely offers the league&rsquo;s most tantalizing highlights, or a two-way grinder with the grit of Stone Cold Steve Austin and immense impact that often goes overlooked as a result in a world of flashier, Rey Mysterio-types, whoever you think the actual best player in the series probably doesn&rsquo;t matter.
What matters is this: It bears reminding that Butler is a 16-game player. He&rsquo;s damn good in the regular season too, but time and time again, he&rsquo;s proven it in the playoffs, and it needs to be noticed.
(Before the NBA Twitter mob comes, this is not to say Young necessarily isn&rsquo;t, especially after last year&rsquo;s postseason run. We&rsquo;re just turning our focus to Butler now for the purposes of this piece).
In Game 2, Butler finished with 45 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists and a pair of steals, He subtly patrolled the Heat&rsquo;s defensive secondary, manipulating Atlanta's guards to lob seemingly-out-of-range alley-oops that were detected and slapped toward a Miami teammate to initiate a break. In addition, the 32-year-old star bullied his way to the free-throw line to tilt the power in his team&rsquo;s favor.
Still, this was a different type of contest-controlling outburst than one we&rsquo;re accustomed to seeing from the Tomball, Texas native.
Nah, man. <a href="https://twitter.com/SportsCenter/status/1516600499759374351" target="_blank" rel="noopener">This sh*t was loud</a>.
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I read no lies <a href="https://t.co/LzHVYF274D">https://t.co/LzHVYF274D</a>
&mdash; DWade (@DwyaneWade) <a href="https://twitter.com/DwyaneWade/status/1516619165573935105?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 20, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Butler shot 15 of 25 from the field, 4 of 7 from three and 11 of 12 on three throws. When the team needed a bucket, Butler delivered, solving the Heat&rsquo;s late-game issues for the night &mdash; a question that's made many hesitant on pegging Miami as a true contender despite being the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference.
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🔥 45 POINTS for Jimmy Buckets 🔥 A new playoff career-high for <a href="https://twitter.com/JimmyButler?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JimmyButler</a> puts the <a href="https://twitter.com/MiamiHEAT?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MiamiHEAT</a> up 2-0! Game 3: Friday, 7 PM ET, ESPN <a href="https://t.co/xAjzVassBk">pic.twitter.com/xAjzVassBk</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1516643329961771010?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 20, 2022</a></blockquote>

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As the Hawks seemed to get hot from the floor, cutting the Heat lead to 64-62 with 8:59 to go in the third quarter, Butler drilled his third three of the game two possessions later. One minute after, he extended the lead to double figures with a lay-up following a defensive board, which prompted a Nate McMillan timeout. The Hawks would again come within single digits following 6-0 run late in the third, and Max Strus found Butler for a dunk with 1:48 to go in the period.
In the fourth, Butler produced 9 points, 2 assists and a steal, and he found Gabe Vincent (who himself had a fantastic two-way effort off the bench) for a triple with 6:12 left in the game; it was a key moment to stretch a narrowing four-point lead to seven.
As the Hawks again sliced it down again with 3:53 left, Butler came out of a timeout, penetrated the lane, drew in the defense and found an open Adebayo for a dunk &mdash; his easiest bucket of the playoffs so far. Not going away, the Hawks cut it to three, but Jimmy drove into a slam with 2:16 left to bring Miami's lead back up to five. And on the ensuing offensive possession, Butler drained a fourth three to make it 109-101 Heat with 1:36 remaining in the game, essentially the dagger.
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We know about what Butler did in the 2020 NBA Playoffs and <a href="https://youtu.be/dadoOIGSkx8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">those Finals in particular</a>. And in 2019, if it wasn&rsquo;t for his performance in the seven-game East semifinals series against the Toronto Raptors, there&rsquo;s no telling how long that Philadelphia 76ers team would&rsquo;ve lasted.
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WKid3520Ow" target="_blank" rel="noopener">In that series</a>, Butler averaged 6.9 points per fourth quarter, totaling 12 of 24 shooting and 21 of 23 on free throws and leading the team with 8.6 minutes per fourth quarter.
Joel Embiid logged 7.8 minutes per fourth and averaged 4.0 points on 8 of 16 shooting from the field and 10 of 14 on free throws. Ben Simmons played 8.3 minutes per fourth and averaged 1.7 points on 4 of 6 shooting and 2 of 4 on free throws. (Simmons took 6 shots in 50 total fourth-quarter minutes and didn&rsquo;t play the fourth at all in Game 5). And Tobias Harris? 2.0 points through 8.1 minutes per fourth, shooting 5 of 22 in the final period overall. J.J. Redick? 2.0 points in 6.0 minutes per.
That summer, Simmons and Harris were maxed, and <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/jimmy-butlers-threepoint-shooting-has-always-been-a-luxury-not-a-necessity" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Butler landed in Miami</a>.
(And if you&rsquo;d like to hold up the 2021 playoffs to detract Butler, you can. But, you must also note that the Heat and Los Angeles Lakers had a seven-week offseason between the NBA Finals and training camp, and the Boston Celtics and Denver Nuggets had nine each; they all flamed out last spring for a reason.)
Tuesday night's performance capped an imperfect offensive display from Miami, who settled for too many jump shots in favor of attacking the rim with Bogdan Bogdanović, DeAndre Hunter and Kevin Huerter all being in foul trouble throughout, but every playoff game is its own experience.
As the Heat head into Atlanta with a 2-0 lead, Adebayo and Tyler Herro &mdash; who&rsquo;ve combined for 36 points through the first two games &mdash; have yet to leave their offensive imprint on the series. If you throw in Kyle Lowry in the mix, the number only grows to 55 points.
If at least one guy is able to have a breakthrough on the road, Miami will probably not need another 45-pointer from Butler, so long as the team defends to or near its capabilities.
And if that doesn't happen, one, it'd be a surprise, but two, who else is better suited to grind you to an ugly-but-effective-ass 81-77 road victory?
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Bryan Fonseca praises the playoff prowess of Heat star Jimmy Butler and his ability to elevate his game in crunch time.

Jimmy Butler is a 16-game player

Every day, BasketballNews.com gives you NBA betting analysis before tip-off. Make sure you subscribe to our daily podcast, &ldquo;Nothing But Bets&rdquo; on&nbsp;<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/nothing-but-bets/id1589799249" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Apple Podcasts</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/6zNxt0NQXPmKuryAdz89m0?si=1038d121100444fd" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Spotify</a>&nbsp;or wherever you listen to podcasts.
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Without further ado, let&rsquo;s dive into our favorite NBA spread bets for the night portion of Tuesday's postseason slate.
Miami Heat (-7.5) vs. Atlanta Hawks
Miami matches up so well in this series against Atlanta. Trae Young will go off for the Hawks, but who else will help out to keep this a competitive series throughout? It&rsquo;s tough to peg, which means the Hawks are in trouble. For Game 2, Miami holds serious advantages in multiple areas. Bam Adebayo should dominate down low on both ends of the court, plus Jimmy Butler&rsquo;s presence will have a notable impact.&nbsp;
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&mdash; Tuesday, April 19th Atlanta Hawks @ Miami Heat</blockquote>

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Atlanta struggled mightily in Game 1, and there&rsquo;s no reason why you shouldn&rsquo;t forecast it to happen again. Hammer with emphasis Heat -7.5 over the Hawks.
Pick: Heat -7.5
Player Props: Trae Young over 25.5 points, Bam Adebayo over 18.5 points, Jimmy Butler over 4.5 assists, Kevin Huerter over 2.5 threes
Memphis Grizzlies (-6.5) vs. Minnesota Timberwolves
Minnesota has the Grizzlies on the ropes early. After throwing an uppercut to Memphis that landed in Game 1, can the Timberwolves take a convincing 2-0 series lead back to Minneapolis? With the way Anthony Edwards is playing right now, seemingly any scenario is on the table for Tuesday night. However, we&rsquo;re rolling with a big-time <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/down-but-not-out-5-keys-to-a-bounceback-grizzlies-victory-in-game-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Grizzlies bounce-back opportunity</a>. Ja Morant will come out with a vengeance scoring-wise, plus his team's perimeter shooting should go back to its law of averages.
This series will likely go the distance, at least six games, but we&rsquo;re locking in the Grizzlies to win Game 2. Lock in Morant to win you back your coins.
Pick: Grizzlies -6.5
Player Props: Ja Morant over 29.5 points, Anthony Edwards over 24.5 points, Karl-Anthony Towns over 1.5 threes, Dillon Brooks over 1.5 threes
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Best Bets: BasketballNews' picks and fantasy advice for 4/19/22

Every day, BasketballNews.com gives you NBA betting analysis before tip-off. Make sure you subscribe to our daily podcast, &ldquo;Nothing But Bets&rdquo; on&nbsp;<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/nothing-but-bets/id1589799249" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Apple Podcasts</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/6zNxt0NQXPmKuryAdz89m0?si=1038d121100444fd" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Spotify</a>&nbsp;or wherever you listen to podcasts.
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Without further ado, let&rsquo;s dive into our favorite NBA spread bets for the night portion of Monday's postseason slate.
Philadelphia 76ers (-7.5) vs. Toronto Raptors
With Scottie Barnes ruled out for Game 2 and possibly beyond for the Raptors, they&rsquo;re in huge trouble trying to further contain Joel Embiid. Philadelphia showed in Game 1 when its trio of Embiid, James Harden and Tyrese Maxey is making shots consistently, Toronto might not have enough firepower to keep up.
For Game 2, we&rsquo;re going back into the well and hammering with emphasis Philadelphia to cover the 7.5-point spread. Expect a monster game from Embiid, plus the Sixers&rsquo; backcourt to win its matchups once again. When the series heads back to Toronto, how will the Raptors be able to stop the Sixers&rsquo; stars?
Pick: Sixers -7.5
Player Props: Joel Embiid over 32.5 points, Pascal Siakam over 25.5 points, Fred VanVleet over 3.5 threes, James Harden over 2.5 threes
Golden State Warriors (-7) vs. Denver Nuggets
Even with a limited Stephen Curry, Golden State had no issues handling the Nuggets in Game 1. Nikola Jokic had a tough go of it, plus Denver&rsquo;s lack of consistent offensive threats showed in a big way. Just like last season going up against the Phoenix Suns, Denver is completely outmatched in this series. The Warriors have ample amounts of versatility, which is already bothering the Nuggets.
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&mdash; Monday, April 18th Denver Nuggets @ Golden State Warriors</blockquote>

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Jokic will need to keep on his Superman MVP cape to keep this one close on Monday night. Jordan Poole, Klay Thompson and Curry should have their way with Denver once more, so lock in Warriors -7.
Pick: Warriors -7
Player Props: Nikola Jokic over 28.5 points, Jordan Poole over 21.5 points, Aaron Gordon over 6.5 rebounds, Klay Thompson over 3.5 threes
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Vado