In a high-profile war of wills with Pat Riley, Jimmy Butler won. Butler got traded from the Miami Heat to the Golden State Warriors, and he got a contract extension. The cost of business was damage to his reputation. Often lauded as a fierce competitor, instead, he has been branded as a quitter and malcontent.
The reality of the NBA is that the players have considerable leverage. To get what you want, one strategy is to make a mess. Butler reportedly behaved so unprofessionally that even the all-powerful Riley (eventually) gave in to his demands. It was an unfortunate end for a guy who became a national star after lifting Miami to NBA Finals appearances in 2020 and 2023. “Playoff Jimmy” was a well-earned nickname.
Now, someone else is counting on Playoff Jimmy. And if all goes well, Butler could change the narrative on his tumultuous 2024-25 season fast.
Golden State is 6-1 since acquiring Butler. The sample size is small, but that is exactly the immediate impact general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. hoped for. The Warriors (31-27) were the No. 8 seed as of Wednesday but only five games behind No. 5 Houston in the loss column. They have the 10th-easiest remaining schedule. It’s possible that they could go from a play-in tournament candidate to having a shot at first-round homecourt advantage in the playoffs.
Butler can win over naysayers by simply winning, and he’s in an ideal situation to succeed. Golden State was desperate to find another star to pair with an aging Steph Curry. By adding Butler, the Warriors have two All-Stars who can close out games. Few teams have that luxury. Curry no longer has to carry the burden against defenses fixated on stopping him. Plus, their games are opposites. Curry is the greatest three-point shooter in NBA history. Butler is a slasher who crashes into the lane and gets to the free-throw line.
This kind of complementary offensive basketball will be hard to stop during the postseason.
Curry said that “the formula is different with Jimmy.” Butler’s presence helps the Warriors when Curry is on the floor and off the floor.
“It’s totally different than what it was before, where you felt a little bit of pressure to try to create a little separation because we were trying to fill some holes in those minutes,” he said. “But I like this for me it makes sense it works we just got to keep doing it.”
Through seven games, Butler’s averages on points (18.0), assists (5.4), rebounds (6.0), and free-throw attempts (8.0) are all improved from the 25 games he played this season with Miami. Since Butler’s arrival, Golden State has the third-best net rating, the second-best defensive rating, and the sixth-best offensive rating. Over the Warriors’ last three games, they have won by an average of 28 points. We’ll get a better idea of how much they have improved soon. On Thursday, they will go East for a five-game road trip. The game to watch will be a visit to Madison Square Garden to face the New York Knicks (38-20) on March 4.
As for Butler’s old team, Miami is 2-6 since he left. The Heat (27-30) appears bound for the NBA draft lottery. It might take Riley a while to rebound from this. But Butler is already rehabbing his image.
