Life is pretty good for the Golden State Warriors right now. After the initial promise of a hot start was thrown out the window, the enthusiasm is back in the building. The main reason for that is Jimmy Butler.
After growing disgruntled with Pat Riley and the Miami Heat organization, Butler needed a new place to play. The Warriors eventually worked out a trade to bring him to the Bay Area. That has quickly proven to be the right call.
The Warriors have a record of 14-1 with Butler in the lineup. The team has quickly soared up the standings in the Western Conference. The days of hovering around the back of the NBA Play-In Tournament standings are long gone.
Butler's statistical impact has not been eye-popping for the Warriors. The six-time All-Star has only averaged 16.4 points, 5.7 rebounds, 5.9 assists, and 1.3 steals per game with Golden State.
However, Butler told Anthony Slater recently that is not where his concerns and focus lie with his new team.
**"We're winning, so I don't care about nothing else. I can say it to whatever colored in the face, but as long as we're winning, man, I'm straight. I'm always happy, I'm always smiling. ...
I'm not just a scorer, I can score whenever I want to. I can shoot the toughest shots if I wanted to, and nobody's ever gonna say anything. I wanna get everybody involved, I wanna get guys in their spots. And when it's my time, they'll know that it's my time.
Until then, I'm gonna pass the ball to the open man, give my guys some jumpers, get them out in transition, and we're gonna keep winning."**
-Jimmy Butler
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Butler's all-around game is proving valuable to the Warriors. Players like Stephen Curry have thrived with the newest star that is helping fuel the offense.
The environment in Golden State sure sounds like it suits Butler. The question from here is how high the ceiling is for this group.
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This story was originally published March 17, 2025 at 10:32 AM.