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How Can Jimmy Butler Improve Warriors?

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Lance Roberson | Last updated Feb 11, 2025 8:35 PM ET

Jimmy Butler hasn't played in a month, but his star power has teased the team's fan base since joining the Golden State Warriors. On Monday, after the Warriors' 125-111 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks, Butler spoke to the media about his current basketball state. Butler's postgame comments revealed promising potential for the Warriors.

In Milwaukee, albeit without Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Warriors took the Eastern Conference team to task. While Stephen Curry deserves the game ball for his 38-point performance, Butler is the catalyst of his superstar teammate's successful night.

Butler finished with 20 points on 12 field goal attempts. Despite not shooting the ball at a significant rate, his 15 free-throw attempts told the story of how he created space and energy for Curry.

Without Butler attracting the Bucks' defense in the paint, Curry's space to operate and potential double-team attention would have muddied the Warriors' offense.

However, for as positive of a performance Butler showcased, he's nowhere near his star potential, as he tells it.

“You gotta think, I haven’t played basketball in a month,” Butler said. “My wind is nowhere close to where it needs to be. I can’t wait until I’m back in basketball shape where I’m used to being. I won’t miss free throws as much. I’ll have lift on my jump shots. Right now, I’m just gassed. I’m glad we’re winning. But I gotta get in better shape.”

Butler endured quite the controversial back-and-forth with the Miami Heat before arriving at Golden State.

Butler likely worked out during the temporary stalemate with the Heat, but he didn't play basketball, which makes his conditioning issue understandable. However, as the season's final stretch begins once the NBA All-Star Weekend finishes, Butler must find that gas.

As a 10th seed in the Western Conference, the Warriors can't have "no energy" as a proper excuse for a loss. For the moment, such an issue hasn't hindered the Warriors, as they are 2-0 since Butler joined the team.

Realizing the star the Warriors traded for, Curry commented on what's possible when Butler gets it together.

“That just tells you how good he is,” Steph Curry said. “He doesn’t feel like himself, and he’s still impacting the game.”

Despite their unfavorable position as the final spot in the final NBA Play-In Tournament, they have an avenue for ascending to a guaranteed playoff spot, as they are only three losses behind the Los Angeles Clippers for the sixth seed.

The Warriors play the eighth-seed Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday, with heavy Western Conference standings implications. Suppose Butler can find his fuel against an injury-riddled roster of the Mavericks. In that case, the Warriors will likely overtake the Kyrie Irving-led team in the standings if their injuries continue to wreck their demoralizing season.

Ultimately, the potential of the Warriors' season depends on how deep Butler can get without his figurative check engine light blinking.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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