The Golden State Warriors' season ended abruptly in the second round of the playoffs against the No. 6 seed Minnesota Timberwolves.
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The Warriors fell short in five games to Minnesota, much of it due to the loss of their superstar guard, Stephen Curry. Curry missed Games 2-5 and most of Game 1 due to a hamstring strain. While the loss of Curry was devastating, many figured that Jimmy Butler was enough to carry the load until Curry returned to the lineup.
However, that was far from the case, as Butler did not play up to par. The 35-year-old forward was mediocre at best for the Warriors, especially in the last two games of the season.
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Many weren't impressed with Butler's performance, including NBA Hall of Famer and three-time champion Dwyane Wade.
On Wade's podcast, he was blunt about Butler's playoff performance, saying he did not live up to his contract in the biggest moment.
"I think the thing with Jimmy is, I didn't like the way he just approached the game," Wade said. "I know Jimmy is a pass-first guy. I know he's about getting his teammates the ball, and want to see them shine. But it's a point where, you're getting $60 [million.] This ain't working. You gotta go.
"He won't look at the basket. And I've seen this before. I've seen it in the Heat jersey."
Wade didn't stop there-he also noted that Butler appeared hesitant at times during the playoffs, particularly in key moments.
"Jimmy Butler's too good of a basketball player to not have his imprint on the game. And sorry, sir. When it's time for you to take over, you just have to. And even when you can't do it, from the standpoint of you ain't making no shots, I don't care. Shoot. It's bad offense if you're not shooting.
"Getting too close in that paint, and not putting that ball up to that basket, that's bad offense."
Butler's overall playoff numbers were solid, but in Games 4 and 5, he did not do enough to extend the series. In those two games, he averaged 15.5 points per game, six rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 1.5 steals while only attempting 20 shots on 45 percent shooting and only attempting four threes in 76 total minutes.
The six-time All-Star was not good enough for his team, and Wade couldn't help but provide his former teammate with some tough love.
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This story was originally published May 20, 2025 at 3:43 PM.