Philadelphia 76ers guard Jimmy Butler, left, drives to the basket on Portland Trail Blazers guard Seth Curry, right, during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Portland, Ore., Sunday, Dec. 30, 2018. (AP Photo/Steve Dykes)Associated Press
There is no equation - scientific, algebraic nor basketballic - that has Jimmy Butler taking just 12 shots (that’s three per quarter) in a Sixers game when Joel Embiid doesn’t play . . . A few more Butler heaves weren’t going to make up the 34-point difference thrashing to the Trail Blazers, but when you are down one guy - The Guy - you put the ball in the right guy’s hand early and often. Truth be told, Butler should be taking more than 12 shots even in the games Embiid does play.