The Golden State Warriors desperately needed to do something to jolt their lackluster play that cratered to a 25-26 record after a 12-3 start.
Enter Jimmy Butler — a live wire act that is sure to electrify on and off court. Stephen Curry and Warriors hope it would be the former.
“Bringing Jimmy in like he’s here for a reason to help try to get us to the next level,” Curry told reporters after the Warriors lost 120-112 to the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday, Feb. 6. “It’s going to look different. We have an opportunity to kind of solidify [our] rotation and make the necessary adjustments from play calls to just different sets that can feature him and his skill set and get us to a level where we’re playing consistent basketball.
“I know he’s hungry to get back out there and play. He’s had a wild up and down year for a lot of reasons and I’m excited for him to be a part of what we do and [have] ultimate confidence that we’ll be able to figure it out. All you want is a chance and I think he can help us get there.”
Chances to get back to the playoffs have been dwindling fast for the Warriors, who have lost 23 of their next 36 games since that 12-3 start. They are outside the top 10 in the Western Conference with only 31 games left in the regular season.
Steph Curry, Warriors Hope to Get ‘Playoff Jimmy’
Curry has been battling double teams more than ever before with the Warriors having no clear-cut second option. He hopes Butler’s arrival will change that and make his life easier and will lead to winning again.
“You look at his body of work — now those two finals appearances,” Curry continued. “He seems like when the stakes get higher, he rises to the occasion. He’s a dog, he’s a winner and just the idea that he has a lot to prove in the new situation, he’s excited to help us and we’re excited to help him.”
Curry pointed out where Butler can help them the most.
“He has a certain style that right now, I think we lack in the sense of shot creation — being able to get to the [free throw] line, controlling half court possessions just with his skill set,” Curry told reporters. “So we got to put it all together and I like a motivated, hungry team with Jimmy on there, the vets that we have to try to put it together.”
The Warriors rank last in free throws and Butler, who averages 5.6 free throws made per game throughout his career, will instantly give them a boost in that department.
Dubbed “Playoff Jimmy” for his penchant for playing big games during the postseason, Butler has led the Heat to two NBA Finals appearances and three Eastern Conference Final berths during his six seasons in Miami. He averaged 24.1 points, 8.3 assists and 6.6 rebounds in 11 games across his two Finals stints.
If the Warriors get that version of Butler, a special run might be in the offing post All-Star break.
Finding the Right Balance
Not everyone has thrived in the Warriors system.
Ask Dennis Schroder, who was part of the outgoing Warriors package, started the season hot with Brooklyn’s pick-and-roll offense but struggled with Golden State’s pick-and-cut or kickout play.
Curry said he will do his work to seamlessly add Butler into their system.
“I’m going to watch a lot of Miami film to see some of the sets they like to run for him and what we can transition to our playbook,” Curry told reporters after they lost to the Utah Jazz on Feb. 5, the day the Butler trade was finalized.
Curry raved about Butler’s high IQ in basketball. He sees a version of Warriors basketball where Butler takes advantage of the space in the paint, which he creates with his 3-point gravity.
“He’s a guy that you have to worry about you might have to send a double to him in the post or he can take advantage of mismatches or if there’s kind of unique defenses that are trying to take me away off ball, he can use that to his advantage,” Curry explained.
Finding the balance between the Warriors’ motion offense and Butler’s elite halfcourt game will be the key in a potential Warriors comeback in the second half of the season.
“I know he likes to play good basketball,” Curry told reporters on Feb. 6. “It doesn’t mean he’s just pounding the ball every possession. I’m sure he wants to play fast, get the ball moving, be a finisher if I’m able to create advantage, and vice versa. So, it’s another high IQ guy that no matter what it really looks like, we hope to figure it out.”
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