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“Undeniable Signs of Physical Decline” - Golden State Warriors Star Predicted For an Underwhelming Season 4 May 10, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Jimmy Butler III (10) dribbles upcourt against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first quarter during game three of the second round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: David Gonzales-Imagn Images

'Undeniable Signs of Physical Decline' – Golden State Warriors Star Predicted For an Underwhelming Season

Originally posted on Hardwood Heroics | By Reign Amurao | Last updated Aug 25, 2025 7:38 AM ET

The Golden State Warriors added more firepower when they traded for Jimmy Butler. With Bulter, the Warriors had another player to rely on offensively. Finally, Stephen Curry wasn’t alone on offense, who can create shots. It was a struggle for Golden State to look for another option to score the ball. The previous season, the team had Klay Thompson, who was still a productive scorer.

However, the problem with Butler is that he relies too much on his athleticism. When it comes to shooting the ball from long range, he isn’t the most reliable option. In the 30 games he played with the Warriors, he shot only 27.9% from beyond the arc. The six-time All-Star shot a better percentage from deep when he was with the Miami Heat. The forward made 36.1% of his attempts from 3-point range.

Seeing as how his athleticism has started to decline, Bleacher Report’s Grant Hughes expects him to have a down year.

Hughes published his list of risers and fallers for each NBA team. According to the reporter, he believes that Butler will be the faller for the Warriors, given his evident physical decline.

“If you watched him closely last year, you also noticed undeniable signs of physical decline. He’d routinely get near the bucket and pump fake several times in search of a foul because he didn’t trust his vertical lift. Defensively, he surrendered blow-by drives a little more often than was comfortable,” he wrote.

Hughes predicts that Butler could still be a fringe All-Star next season. However, he reiterated that the star forward is starting to show signs of decline.

Quinten Post is expected to perform better for the Golden State Warriors

“Undeniable Signs of Physical Decline” - Golden State Warriors Star Predicted For an Underwhelming Season 5 Feb 10, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Kyle Kuzma (18) takes a shot against Golden State Warriors forward Quinten Post (21) in the fourth quarter at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

While Butler takes the faller spot for the Golden State Warriors on Hughes’ list, upcoming second-year big man Quinten Post is listed as the riser for the team. The NBA reporter was impressed with Post’s rookie season, which is why he believes he’ll continue to be a more productive player.

With the departure of Kevon Looney, he’ll have more time on the floor as the backup for Draymond Green.

“The Warriors obviously won’t put the second-year center on the floor for entire games, but his per-minute production as a stretch big makes it clear he’s going to enjoy a statistical spike as his playing time increases,” Hughes published.

Last season, Post appeared in 42 games, averaging 8.1 points and 3.5 rebounds. He was also reliable from deep and made 40.8% of his shots from deep.

“Undeniable Signs of Physical Decline” - Golden State Warriors Star Predicted For an Underwhelming Season 6 Feb 3, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) celebrates with center Quinten Post (21) as a time out is called after a play against the Orlando Magic during the fourth quarter at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images

This article first appeared on Hardwood Heroics and was syndicated with permission.

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