When Jimmy Butler was ruled out of Wednesday’s game, the Golden State Warriors looked like a shell of themselves. However, one Warriors fan sees some light amid the darkness.
https://twitter.com/30Burner_/status/1915281752236359806?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Jimmy had the same type of injury vs the Bucks in 2023, that series ended with him scoring 56 & 42 points back-to-back games,” the fan said. “Sleep well.”
That fan brings up an interesting point about Butler’s injury. However, the two injuries are vastly different. For starters, in the Miami Heat series, Butler landed on his leg, and then his back side.
During the Golden State game, he landed straight on his back side. There wasn’t as much support to try and limit the severity of the fall.
Also, Butler was accidentally clipped mid-air by Amen Thompson and Stephen Curry. That’s when the fall took place. As a result, head coach Steve Kerr answered if Butler’s injury was intentional and on purpose.
Either way, that wasn’t the only element of Golden State losing Wednesday’s game. Although the Houston Rockets had a great shooting game, the Warriors had no other scoring option.
Plus, there was a sickness going around the team. Even Brandin Podziemski was a game-time decision and was playing with a sickness. It left Stephen Curry as the only one to create his offense from the perimeter.
Does Warriors’ Jimmy Butler make that much of a difference?
Judging by the record with and without him, Butler makes all the difference in the world. The team is 24-8 with Butler as a part of the Warriors.
Not to mention, their defense jumped up significantly with him on the team. They went from about the middle of the pack to the league’s best defense.
Furthermore, his offensive game is masterful. He hasn’t wowed anyone statistically this season. Still, his presence looms large, and provides a nice inside-out element to Curry. The two have played off one another seamlessly.
When he left Wednesday’s game though, Golden State looked like a shell of themselves.
However, Butler’s injury overshadowed the Warriors struggles in Game 2. It still doesn’t take into account how much Butler is valued.
If he’s able to play through the injury, “Playoff Jimmy” might reincarnate. There was a glimpse of it in Game 1, but having that for the rest of the series will be key, if he plays.
One player could be the differentiating factor between Golden State playing in the Western Conference Finals, or a first-round exit.
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