Did Stephen A. Smith really admit he was wrong?
ESPN star Malika Andrews couldn’t believe her ears and asked her co-host to repeat himself.
Smith was not a fan of the Golden State Warriors trading for Jimmy Butler.
He doubted whether the 35-year-old had enough left in the tank to fire a charge for the NBA Finals alongside ageing great Steph Curry.
Buttler is averaging 20 points a game in the Bay Area and added 18 in a blowout win over the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday — a fifth victory in six since he left the Miami Heat.
“I think I was wrong, miracles do happen,” admitted Stephen A. before tip-off. “I think I was wrong when I first talked about this.
“I looked at Jimmy Butler, and I said, we know what a big-time player he is, particularly in the postseason, but do him and Steph mesh?
“Jimmy Butler’s averaging 20 and six. He is averaging over nine free throws per game, which is sixth in the league since he arrived in Golden State.
“I don’t have them winning it, but I can’t summarily dismiss what I’m seeing and how impressive it’s been.”
Golden State is now 30-27 and Curry — recently named All-Star Weekend MVP — is looking remarkably fresh for a 36-year-old.
Smith thinks that is partly down to ‘Jimmy Buckets’ and his ability to draw fouls.
“When I think about Steph Curry outside of his marksmanship, the one thing I marvel at, like LeBron (James) in a different way, is conditioning,” explained Smith.
“He’s running around all the day and time. When you have a guy that can get to the free throw line frequently as Jimmy Butler, who’s second in usage rate in the team, what happens then is you’re giving him a break.
“You’re giving him a breather without him having to get off the court to sit on the bench.”
Curry is averaging nearly 30 points a game alongside The Butler.
“You can tell our fans see the difference,” said head coach Steve Kerr. “They feel the momentum just like we do.
“It was an important shift — the trade itself. I think I mentioned this after the Sacramento (Kings) game, we needed (the Butler trade).
“We felt it. We were kind of treading water. We couldn’t get any traction. Sometimes, you gotta shake things up.
“We shook things up and just so happened that one of the best players in the league is available. That doesn’t happen very often. It’s a move that made sense.”
After demanding a trade away from Miami, Butler is loving life in the Bay Area — but he is yet to call it home.
“First game is a dub. It’s always good,” he said after finally making his Chase Center debut.
“Now I gotta find somewhere to live. I got nowhere to live out here.”
Butler signed during a seven-game road trip and didn’t have time to check out real estate.
With over $300 million in career earnings, he will have plenty of choice.
