Short takes
Last season with the Wolves, Jimmy Butler was 0-for-11 on shots he took in the final 10 seconds of a game. According to ESPN, that was the most misses without a make in the league. Butler shook off that streak Saturday when he drilled a three-pointer in overtime of Philadelphia's 122-119 victory over the Charlotte, which lost despite getting 60 points from Kemba Walker. Butler's game-winner came after he missed a 20-foot shot for the win in regulation.
One of the refrains coming from the Wolves during the Butler drama was "everybody goes through stuff in the NBA." Since the Wolves dealt Butler on Nov. 10, the Warriors' Kevin Durant and Draymond Green had a very public feud that resulted in a one-game suspension for Green, the Rockets parted ways with Carmelo Anthony, and ESPN reported the Wizards are now open to dealing Bradley Beal and John Wall. The NBA never stops turning.
Former Wolves guard Zach LaVine signed a four-year, $78.5 million contract with the Bulls in the offseason, and he's commanding the ball like he's making big money. LaVine entered Monday third in the NBA in usage rate among players averaging over 15 minutes per game. His .322 percentage was behind only Houston's James Harden and Oklahoma City's Russell Westbrook. That means 32.2 percent of Bulls possessions when LaVine is on the floor end with him either attempting a shot, getting to the free-throw line or committing a turnover. LaVine was 18th in that metric among qualifying players last season.
