Jimmy Butler III, Warriors
Getty
Jimmy Butler III of the Golden State Warriors.
The Golden State Warriors closed the first half of their season with a comfortable win.
Jimmy Butler was not impressed.
Following Golden State’s 119-97 blowout victory over the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday night at Chase Center, Jimmy Butler offered a brutally honest evaluation of the Warriors’ season to this point.
“Mediocre,” Butler said when asked to assess the team through 41 games. “The worst place to be is to be mediocre.”
Warriors on NBCS
Jimmy Butler declares the Warriors have been “mediocre” through one half of the NBA season
“The worst place to be is to be mediocre.”
Warriors dominate Portland, but Butler looks beyond the result
On the surface, the Warriors had plenty to celebrate.
Butler scored 16 points on an efficient 5-of-7 shooting night, adding six rebounds and five assists. Golden State forced 22 turnovers, knocked down 23 three-pointers, and built a 26-point halftime lead on the way to its most complete win in weeks.
Even so, Butler made it clear that one night does not erase months of inconsistency.
“Yes, it can go either way,” Butler said. “But nobody wants to be just average.”
The Warriors sit at 22-19, eighth in the Western Conference, a record that reflects both their upside and their volatility.
Stephen Curry facilitates as Warriors find offensive rhythm
While Butler delivered the postgame soundbite, Stephen Curry quietly orchestrated the offense.
Curry finished with just seven points on 2-of-9 shooting, but handed out a season-high 11 assists as Golden State recorded 34 assists on 42 made baskets.
The Warriors’ ball movement overwhelmed a short-handed Portland team missing leading scorer Deni Avdija. Golden State made 14 of its first 22 shots and opened the game with a 38-22 first-quarter advantage.
De’Anthony Melton led all scorers with a season-high 23 points off the bench, while Brandin Podziemski added 15. Moses Moody chipped in 14 and passed Mike Dunleavy for 12th on the franchise’s all-time three-point list.
Draymond Green and Steve Kerr point to progress
Draymond Green, Steve Kerr, Warriors
GettyDraymond Green of the Golden State Warriors talks to head coach Steve Kerr on the bench.
Others in the Warriors’ locker room struck a more optimistic tone.
Draymond Green described the team as one that is beginning to understand itself now that the roster is healthy.
“I think we’re in a pretty good spot,” Green said. “We’re building an identity.”
Head coach Steve Kerr echoed that sentiment while acknowledging the standings have not yet reflected it.
“Our record should be better,” Kerr said. “None of that matters. We’ve got to take care of ourselves and keep climbing.”
Statistically, the Warriors sit 15th in offensive rating and fifth defensively. They are 8-11 against teams above .500 and just 8-12 in clutch games decided by five points or fewer.
That middle ground is exactly what Butler is pushing against.
Final word
The Warriors earned a comfortable win.
Jimmy Butler was focused on something bigger.
At the halfway point of the season, Golden State is good enough to dominate lesser teams and flawed enough to remain stuck in the middle of the standings. Butler’s “mediocre” label was not a shot. It was a challenge.
Whether the Warriors rise above it will define the second half of their season.