Jimmy Butler was hoping for a trade the last time he was on a team scheduled to visit the Brooklyn Nets. Now, Butler is on a new team and fitting in well, as the Golden State Warriors make their annual visit to the Nets on Thursday night on the one-month anniversary of his acquisition from the Miami Heat.

After we spent all season feeling confident in a three-horse NBA title race between the Oklahoma City Thunder, Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers, the two iconic franchises out west have entered the conversation.

A breakdown of some of the players, teams and trends around the league that are drawing the ire of yours truly. If you're not a fellow pessimist, proceed with caution.  Look, the Lakers have won five straight with Luka in the lineup,