y. This is Sindhus third tournament since her silver medal win at t

CHICAGO -- Jimmy Butler spun a basketball on his finger. He joked around with Cleveland Cavaliers guard Kyrie Irving during a brief 1-on-1 exchange. He smiled as some of the NBAs biggest stars lobbed some playful barbs in his direction.Back in Chicago on the eve of the Olympics, Butler is fitting in quite nicely with the U.S. national team.There are a lot of great players on this roster, but more than just basketball players, I get to learn a lot more about them off the court, Butler said, who they are as people and their families, and how they act, their personalities. I think thats been my favorite part of this whole journey, just getting to know the guys that I go up against every year.Its good practice for the fall, when Butler returns to a new-look Bulls team that suddenly includes a pair of longtime opponents for the versatile swingman.Derrick Rose is gone, traded to the New York Knicks. All-Star center Pau Gasol landed in San Antonio. But Dwyane Wade and Rajon Rondo decided to join Butler in Chicago, providing championship experience, but also two more players on the wrong side of 30 who like to have the ball in their hands.Im excited. I know they are as well, Butler said before Thursdays Team USA practice at the United Center. Its a new start for a lot of us.Butlers reputation also took a hit in the wake of Chicagos 42-40 finish in April, ending the franchises string of seven consecutive playoff appearances. The two-time All-Star was openly critical of new coach Fred Hoiberg and did not click with Rose last season.Asked about speculation he had a hand in Chicagos offseason activity, Butler brushed the notion away like he would an overzealous defender.That has nothing to do with me. I dont move guys, he said. Its like I always say, people are going to think what they want to think.That doesnt bother me, he continued. I know where I stand. I know who I am.Butlers inclusion on the national team establishes the 6-foot-7 Marquette product as one of the best players in the world, part of a steady rise for the No. 30 selection in the 2011 draft. On the 12-player roster for Team USA, only Draymond Green and DeAndre Jordan are lower draft picks.Butler, 26, averaged 20.9 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.8 assists last season. He has increased his averages for scoring and assists in each of the last four years.I knew he was a workhorse, but that man really never stops working, Golden State guard Klay Thompson said, and I give Jimmy a lot of credit because he came into this league and obviously he didnt have the hype he (would) if he was like a top-five pick, but hes worked himself into an All-Star and one of the best wings in the game.Before this Olympic run, U.S. coach Mike Krzyzewski had only seen Butler on TV.The very first thing is just how strong and what a great athlete he is, Krzyzewski said. Then what a good guy he is, and then what an outstanding competitor. You felt he was going to check every box, but you put two checks in each of these boxes. Hes terrific, and hes a really good guy.Krzyzewski said Butler and Paul George are the most versatile players on the team, capable of guarding any position. Butler had four points and three rebounds while playing 14 1/2 minutes in the United States 107-57 exhibition victory over China on Tuesday night.Next up is a matchup with Venezuela on Friday night at Butlers home with the Bulls, and then a trip to Houston for one more game against Nigeria before departing for Brazil. When it comes to the Olympics, Butler said he just wants to win.Its a very familiar response for U.S. assistant Tom Thibodeau, who coached Butler with the Bulls before he was fired in May 2015.To see how much hes grown from his first year in the league to what hes become, its a testament to how hard hes worked, his intelligence, his drive, Thibodeau said. Each year hes gotten better, and I think his makeup will allow him to continue to improve each year.---Jay Cohen can be reached at http://www.twitter.com/jcohenapDerrick Willies Jersey . After dropping their final six games of December, the Wild opened the new calendar year with four consecutive wins. Following a loss to Colorado on Saturday, Minnesota rebounded the following night to blank Nashville 4-0, but then had the tables turned on them Tuesday. Trevon Coley Jersey . -- The Bishops Gaiters are showing they belong among the countrys top varsity football teams. http://www.cheapbrownsjerseysauthentic.com/?tag=authentic-kendall-lamm-jersey . It was just business as usual for the Thunder at home. Durant scored 32 points and the Thunder beat the Bulls 107-95 on Thursday night for their eighth straight win. Dontrell Hilliard Jersey . -- Los Angeles Lakers guard Jordan Farmar will be out for roughly four weeks after tearing his left hamstring. Chad Thomas Jersey . Q: Team Canada announces their Olympic roster three weeks from today. Who is general manager Steve Yzerman watching? LeBrun: Over the last 48 hours, hes taken in the home-and-home between the Dallas Stars and Colorado Avalanche with Jamie Benn and Matt Duchene being the obvious targets.PV Sindhu entered the semifinal of the China Open Super Series after defeating unseeded Bingjiao He of China 22-20, 21-10 in Beijing on Friday. The match lasted 39 minutes.Seventh-seeded Sindhu had earlier defeated USAs Beiwen Zhang in the second round on Thursday. This is Sindhus third tournament since her silver medal win at the Rio Olympics, the previous ones being the Denmark Open and the French Opeen, where she was eliminated in the second round.ddddddddddddn mens singles, Ajay Jayaram was knocked out in the quarterfinal, losing 15-21, 14-21 to second-seeded Chen Long from China. 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