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DALLAS — Jimmy Butler’s season-ending torn ACL threw the Warriors’ season into disarray. Although head coach Steve Kerr and general manager Mike Dunleavy believe this current group is better equipped to compete without Butler than the team was last year before acquiring Butler, Golden State is in a similar position.
And last season, before acquiring Butler, Steph Curry was vocal about how unwise it would be to make “desperate moves that deplete the future.”
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Asked after Thursday night’s 123-115 loss to the Mavericks, Curry declined to share his thoughts on the direction of the franchise in the wake of Butler’s injury.
“I’m not talking about that right now,” Curry said. “We’re just trying to win a game on the road. Lot of time before [Feb. 5], there’s a lot of time before the playoffs. Don’t need any existential thoughts right now.”
Curry scored 38 points on 27 shots in the Warriors’ loss, shouldering an increased offensive responsibility without his running mate.
Before Butler’s injury, the Warriors had won 12 of 16 games, generating momentum leading up to the Feb. 5 trade deadline. It’s unclear exactly how Butler’s injury will impact the front office’s approach ahead of the deadline.
Kerr’s pregame message to the team centered around re-energizing and re-focusing on the court without Butler. It also involved how he plans to experiment with lineup changes, a necessary action after losing such an important piece.
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Golden State started Draymond Green at center against Dallas in an effort to open up the floor more for Curry. Green struggled, registering a -15 plus-minus and fouling out late.
Kerr also kept Jonathan Kuminga in the rotation, a change that took place in the Warriors’ first game after Butler’s season-ending injury. Kuminga looked excellent in the first half, scoring 10 points in his first nine minutes, including two and-1s. He was perfect from the field and foul line, but twisted his left ankle on a breakaway — a play that also banged up his left knee.
Kuminga will likely get an MRI in Minneapolis on Friday, Kerr said.
“Such a shame, he was playing great,” Kerr said of Kuminga, who has scored 30 points in as many minutes over the past two games. “That definitely hurt as well, not having him available for the second half.”
Kuminga was in line to be a major factor in replacing Butler’s scoring output. His absence could make adjusting to life without Butler even more challenging.
“Obviously a tough situation,” Curry said of Butler. “First and foremost, you think about him and his recovery, his spirits. Just try to be there for him as a friend and teammate. Basketball wise, we have to make the necessary adjustments and try to keep a semblance of the identity we were forming with him as part of that push. These last two games have been difficult in making that adjustment, but emotionally, we have to kind of move on as fast as possible to not let things spiral in the wrong direction.”
Kerr said Curry is “crushed” about Butler’s injury, which will require surgery on a to-be-determined date.
“He knows what it means to our team,” Kerr said. “And that part really hurts him. But he’s still going to go play and enjoy the game and enjoy his life, because he’s got it all figured out.”
The Warriors are 0-2 since Butler’s injury. They’re 25-21 — safely in the play-in picture and three games out of sixth place.
Kerr and Dunleavy each mentioned the presences of Al Horford and De’Anthony Melton, as well as developments from Brandin Podziemski, Quinten Post, and Moses Moody as reasons why this group can compete even without their six-time All-Star.
Curry cited a different reason.
“As long as I’m out there, I’m always confident we can win,” Curry said. “And until proven otherwise, you have to carry that mentality. It’s what this league requires. It’s not really fair to try to project too far down the road, because we have work to do right now to answer the call of what this team, without Jimmy, needs to do to win.”
Even if everything is on the table for the Warriors’ front office, the team is focused on finding solutions on the court to win games. That’ll require limiting turnovers, increased energy, a more focused defense, and an uptick in scoring production from players like Podziemski, Moody, and Melton.
It also probably calls for staying in the moment instead of thinking ahead. Getting existential probably isn’t productive, even if it might be pragmatic.
“No secret, it’s difficult for everybody trying to accept the reality of what’s going on,” Curry said.