Jimmy Butler Shows Out In First Game with Warriors, Gives Golden State Hope

The Warriors have been a pretty mediocre team for most of this season. They’ve shown flashes of greatness here and there, but more often than not their roster hasn’t been able to get anything done. They’ve had no rhythm, no real rotation, and have been far too reliant on their stars to carry them.

That is, until last week.

In what was one of the biggest moves of the season, Golden State orchestrated a multi-team deal that landed them Miami superstar Jimmy Butler for the likes of Dennis Schroder and Andrew Wiggins. The trade forced them to give up some of their depth, but in return they got one of the best guards in the league.

(Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)

Adding Butler to the roster enables them to pair Stephen Curry with another true superstar. It also shows the franchise hasn’t given up on this season. They didn’t deal for Butler just to sit back and sit quiet. They wanted to make their move and rise in the Western Conference.

That plan was on full display against the Bulls on Saturday night.

Starting Slow, Finishing Strong

In what became a surprisingly tough contest, Butler got his first start against one of his ex-teams in Chicago. His presence, alongside some great play from Golden State’s many role players, allowed the Warriors to push forward and mount a strong comeback to earn the victory.

Despite high expectations due to their new draft pick, Golden State fell behind early. They ended the first quarter up three, but were down fourteen at the half thanks to a 38-21 second quarter by the Bulls.

At that point, it seemed as if the Warriors would quickly fall back to their old ways. However, they came out of the tunnel ready to play. Not only did they close the gap, they outscored Chicago in the second half by 35 points and cruised to an easy 132-111 win.

It was a team effort all around. Stephen Curry led the way as always with 34 points, but Quinten Post, Buddy Hield, and Brandin Podziemski all put up double digits too. Everyone played great defense and kept the opposing team on their heels.

Jimmy Butler had himself quite the debut as well.

A Welcome Addition

There were many questions about how Butler would fit in with Golden State, as well as how long it would take for him to gel with the offense even if he did. The strong guard answered all of that speculation without any hesitation.

In a powerful first game, the shooter scored 25 points, second most on the team, along with four assists and two rebounds. Though he didn’t dish the ball or crash the glass too much, his ability to get to the rim proved to be invaluable.

Butler is one of the best basket attackers in the NBA, and he’s incredible at taking defenders one-on-one. Not only can he score, but his quick drives collapse opposing defenses and typically lead to easy shots. That’s a great feature when playing with someone like Curry.

“He’s obviously a guy you can run an offense through,” the Warriors superstar said when talking about his first game with Butler “[He] can demand attention, create advantages. Obviously get to the line.”

Those attributes would be useful for any team, but they are especially important for the Warriors. The team has lacked a true number two this season after the departure of Klay Thompson, and Butler might be ready to step up and fill that gap.

Going All-In

It’s no secret the Warriors want another ring while they still have Curry on their roster. The guard is operating at an extremely high level, but there’s no telling how many years he has left. While the team is looking towards the future, they also don’t want their window to close.

To make the most of the superstar’s last years, they needed to get him some help. They have a lot of solid talent on their roster, but nobody who could step up and take over on their own. That’s what Butler provides. He takes pressure off of Curry when they’re both on the court, and also allows him to rest throughout the game.

It’s a great pairing from the other side too. Butler has never played with a true superstar. Being able to dish the ball out to the greatest shooter of all time will completely change the way he plays the game and bring even more dimension to the Warriors team.

It might take some time before the pair truly get going, but once they do they could truly become one of the top teams in the West.

“A lot to build on,” Curry said when talking about the victory over Chicago. “That first half was a weird feeling out process…But our composure in that second half was great to see.”