IN THE LANE

BALLOT BOOST: When it comes to coaching support for All-Star reserves, Butler would appear to have the vote of New York Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau, his coach with the Chicago Bulls and Minnesota Timberwolves.“He’s gotten better every year in the league,” Thibodeau said during the Knicks’ Wednesday visit.“The thing that’s always been special about him is his toughness and competitiveness. So when you add that with the way he sees the game, the way he processes things, he can beat you off the pass, he can beat you off the dribble. He gets to the line. He plays for the team.”With Butler, Thibodeau said you have to dig deeper than the numbers.“If he wanted to, he could score 30 points a night. He can guard all five positions. Those type of guys, they are winners. He was a winner coming into the league and he is a winner now.”

BAM-BOOZLED: Knicks guard Evan Fournier did not directly call out Thibodeau when it came to his team’s inability to handle switches in Wednesday’s loss to the Heat. But it sure seemed as if he believed he had a better answer than how the Knicks’ coach handled the chaos created by Adebayo’s versatility.“You can’t control what the other team is going to do. If they’re going to switch, they’re going to switch. You can’t force them not to,” Fournier said.“That’s impossible. So try to use it to your advantage. The dangerous thing with switching —especially when you have Bam who is a very good defender for a center — is to back up and try to play him one-on-one as soon as you have the switch. That’s a dangerous thing. If you ask me, I’ll say get into the pick-and-roll with the [point guard] or whoever is the smallest guard guarding the ball. Make sure they switch. Hit the wing and try to play flash game with the big inside.”The teams next meet Feb. 25 at Madison Square Garden, before the three-game season series concludes March 25 at FTX Arena.

STILL HOPEFUL: At 33, Heat 2008 first-round pick Michael Beasley told HoopsHype he remains hopeful of another NBA opportunity. As he waits, Beasley said he appreciates the Heat giving former teammate Mario Chalmers two recent 10-day contracts and also affording South Florida workout partner Brandon Knight an opportunity with the Heat’s G League affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce.“I’m happy to see my friends that are good players get a chance,” Beasley said of Chalmers and Knight.“At the same time, it just motivates me more to go harder and keep going. It’s easy to just give up when you see something happen like this. I’m waiting for a call, and when it comes, I’ll be ready.” Beasley last was in the NBA in 2018-19 with the Los Angeles Lakers.“These last three years, I’ve been in the gym every day working on my craft, getting stronger, sharpening my jump shot, sharpening my handles, defense one-on-one, or five-on-five,” said Beasley, who had three tours with the Heat.“I’ve become a student of the game again and have repeated that process.”

TIME TRAVELERS: Last Sunday’s Heat-Lakers game at FTX featured the NBA’s three remaining players from the 2003 rookie class: the Lakers’ LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony, and the Heat’s Udonis Haslem. “It really is a testament to how they’ve adapted and taken care of their bodies, and they should be really inspiring to this next generation of players,” Spoelstra said.“You can play for a long time and you could play at a high level. Those guys can keep on going for several years. It’s not like an ending in sight.” Spoelstra added: “Father Time will eventually win, but right now we’re kind of rewriting what’s possible with human performance and the possibilities. I think that’s exciting. And that’s the way it should be. Science is changing the way athletes take care of themselves.”