With the star tandem of Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler III healthy and ready to take the stage in the playoffs, the Warriors’ optimism of a postseason run, has gone from delusion to possibility.
On Tuesday, the Warriors won the play-in game 121-116 against the Memphis Grizzlies to secure the No. 7 seed in the Western Conference playoffs and are scheduled to play the Houston Rockets in the first round of postseason play. Butler tallied 38 points, leading the Warriors to victory, according to an NBC Sports Bay Area article’
The Warriors had a losing record of 25-26 when Butler debuted after being acquired from the Miami Heat at the Feb. 6 trade deadline, according to a March 25, NBC Sports Bay Area article.
Realistically, this duo can revive the Warriors’ dynasty for several years to come. As for this season, the Warriors aren’t going to make it past the second round.
In a five-way trade, the Miami Heat, the Golden State Warriors, the Utah Jazz, the Detroit Pistons and the Toronto Raptors agreed to a blockbuster move highlighted by forward Andrew Wiggins going to Miami and Butler coming to the Bay Area, according to a Feb. 6 CBS Sports article.
The Warriors have the potential of creating havoc in the Western Conference playoffs, they have optimism that the Butler-Curry one-two punch is going to be a force for the foreseeable future.
However, nothing was as striking as the arrival of Butler to the Dubs’ lineup.
The orchestrator behind the Butler acquisition is Warriors General Manager Mike Dunleavy Jr., who was promoted from team executive to general manager for Golden State, according to the official Warriors website.
“Jimmy has performed at the highest level for many years in our league, especially when the lights are the brightest during the postseason, and his two-way capabilities are perfectly suited for our team,” Dunleavy said in an interview with CBS Sports.
Butler’s immediate impact is the perfect fit for the Warriors and the perfect complement to the Warriors’ superstar guard and future Hall-of-Famer in Curry
Like Curry, Butler doesn’t need the ball in his hands to be effective. However, the two superstars have different ways of impacting the game. The combination of Butler’s grit and Curry’s skill bodes for long nights for opposing teams.
The forward's ability and midrange game allow him to be a threat anywhere inside the 3-point line.
Butler’s physical stature and finesse make him able to be a 3-way scorer. He can drive the lane, kick out to shooters beyond the arc, and can repeatedly draw fouls and finish through contact.
The star forward brings everything the Warriors need in a one-man stimulus package.
He defends and facilitates like forward Draymond Green, passes like a point guard and he drives to the goal with ferocity.
To put it simply he doesn’t settle for jump shots, he makes his teammates better and he delivers in the clutch.
Miami Heat head coach, Erik Spoelstra, raved about his former star, according to a Nov. 4, 2021 Miami Herald article.
“He’s rugged. He’s physical,” Spoelstra said. “But he has a great knack for going through contact. Those are mini car wrecks when he’s drawing fouls and going to the line.”
The Warriors have gone 16-4 with him in the lineup and 23-7 overall since Butler joined the organization, according to an NBC Sports Bay Area article.
The forward’s winning mentality has significantly propelled the Warriors. It is baffling to think that historically, his numbers with the Miami Heat have increased during his playoff career.
Butler, in his regular season career, notched 18.3 points per game, 5.3 rebounds per game and 4.3 assists per game. In contrast, Butler in the playoffs averaged 21.3 points per game, 6.2 rebounds per game and 4.6 assists per game in 119 games, according to a Basketball-Reference page.
Golden State Head Coach Steve Kerr said Butler’s basketball IQ is another aspect that makes him flourish under the Warriors’ system.
“He just understands the situation …” Kerr said in an interview with NBC Sports Bay Area. “The defensive play of the game with the blocked shot at the rim. It’s the beauty of guys like Jimmy and Draymond, that they can impact the game at such a high level regardless of what’s happening with their offensive games.”
The offense recorded a 111.8 rating, which was 18th in the NBA prior to acquiring Butler and jumped to 118.2 efficiency rating, good for 9th in the NBA, with Butler Curry’s efficiency has gone from a negative correlation to a positive one, according to Poole in an NBC Sports Bay Area page.
Warriors Assistant Coach Ron Adams, whose tenure as an NBA coach has lasted more than 30 years, raved about the immediate change in Jimmy Butler’s ability to make his teammates better.
“He settles everybody down, and that’s something we needed, especially when closing games,”
Adams said in an interview with Poole. “He’s made Steph and Draymond better. He understands the game, and the other guys respect his presence.”
Whether or not the Warriors live up to the hype of their former dynasty, the moves they’ve made to build for the next few years can begin to test the waters in the 2024-2025 playoffs.
