Ex-NBA Player Surprisingly Leaves Warriors Duo Off Key Playoff List
The Golden State Warriors are just one win away from advancing to the second round of the NBA Playoffs.
As Warriors fans know, getting even this far wasn't a guarantee. At their lowest point, the Warriors were the No. 12 seed looking up at a stacked Western Conference.
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Mike Dunleavy pulled the trigger on what could be a franchise-altering move when he traded away Andrew Wiggins to bring in six-time All-Star Jimmy Butler.
Ex-NBA player omits Warriors duo from list
Butler's impact was immediately felt and the Warriors went 23-7 in the regular season with Butler.
After Butler left Game 2 with a pelvic contusion, the Warriors allowed Jalen Green to score 38 points.
Stephen Curry picked up the slack in Butler's Game 3 absence and scored 36 points.
Butler returned for Game 4 and the Warriors needed every bit of his production. He led the team with 27 points, 14 of which came in the fourth quarter. He was 12-for-12 from the free-throw line in the game and 5-for-5 in the final minute to help the Warriors hold off the Rockets.
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For the series, Butler is averaging 26 points per game, as is Curry.
However, despite the top-tier production, former NBA Player Chandler Parsons hasn't been impressed.
In a recent segment for FanDuel TV, he gave his five best duos in the NBA Playoffs. Noticeably, Curry and Butler were omitted from the list.
Instead, Parsons named Jayson Tatum /Jaylen Brown, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander/Jalen Williams, Donovan Mitchell/Darius Garland, Jalen Brunson/Karl-Anthony Towns and Jamal Murray/Nikola Jokic.
There are plenty of arguments to be made for and against this list.
While Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is favored to take home the Most Valuable Player Award, seeing Williams in a list of top duos over a pair like Curry and Butler may leave fans scratching their heads.
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