Butler is the rare player whose journey has taken him from being a benchwarmer during his rookie season to becoming a team's primary option — a role that he flourished in with the Heat, where he averaged 21.0 points on 49.8 percent shooting, 6.0 rebounds and 5.7 assists per game.

Paul Pierce says the Golden State Warriors' window has closed, claiming the league no longer fears them like it once did.

During his postgame news conference, Butler made the amusing admission that his free-throw production may be under additional pressure this season. The veteran forward admitted that he's made a bet with Draymond Green that he will end the season with a better free-throw percentage than superstar guard Stephen Curry.

Jimmy Butler III shows he's got it in Game 1, Luka Dončić begins to take the baton and Jonathan Kuminga slots right in.

BOTTOM LINE: Denver faces Golden State in Western Conference action Thursday. Golden State finished 48-34 overall and 29-23 in Western Conference action a season ago. The Warriors averaged 19.7 points off of turnovers, 15.6 second-chance points and 43.6 bench points last season.

When speaking to the media during his postgame news conference, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr praised Butler's performance against JJ Redick team. Kerr likened Butler's calming presence to that of former Warriors forward Andre Iguodala, who helped secure four championships during his tenure in the Bay Area.

How to watch the NBA game between the Golden State Warriors and the Denver Nuggets, as well as tip-off time and team news.

LeBron James has not missed too many games in his NBA career, however the Los Angeles Lakers superstar was unable to feature in his team’s season opener, with James missing the Lakers’ home loss to the Golden State Warriors due to sciatica.

NBA season tips off tonight as the Los Angeles Lakers host the Golden State Warriors tonight at 10 p.m. ET. Find out how to watch for free.

Rich Kleiman welcomes four-time NBA champion and All-Star Draymond Green to Network for an unfiltered conversation about legacy, leadership and life with the Golden State Warriors. Draymond opens up about the challenges of maintaining motivation,