The Golden State Warriors lost in five games to the Minnesota Timberwolves in what ended up being a disappointing end to a promising end of the regular season. After defeating the Houston Rockets in the Conference Quarterfinals, there was confidence among many in the Warriors to make a deep run.
Then, in the second quarter of Game 2 of the Conference Semifinals, Warriors' superstar Steph Curry suffered a hamstring strain and was not seen in the series again. At that point, it felt as if the series was out of reach for a Warriors team that already had depth issues.
Jimmy Butler was acquired to be the co-star to Curry, and was essential in getting the Warriors to the playoffs in the first place, but came up short in the end. A gluteal muscle injury caused Butler to miss a game, and he hobbled for a good portion of the series against Houston.
Outside of the 33 points in Game 3 at home against the Timberwolves, he scored less than 20 points per game in a time when the Warriors desperately needed an offensive punch.
Jimmy Butler isn't living up to the "Playoff Jimmy" name anymore.
— Kevin O'Connor (@KevinOConnorNBA) May 15, 2025
Finished with an underwhelming 17 points on 4/11 as the Warriors got eliminated by the Timberwolves, which continues a worrisome trend.
Butler's last 11 elimination games:
17/6/6 L vs MIN
20/8/7 W vs HOU
27/9/8… pic.twitter.com/Tcml234RtJ
In his exit interview, Butler remained optimistic about the offseason and what it can do for the team's chemistry. "I get to be around my guys in the off-season. We're going to get to vacay together. We're going to get our kids together," Butler exclaimed.
He continued, "We're going to get to train together, build even more chemistry, and then take this thing into training camp and into this next year, this next season, and do what we set out to do."
Team 24: The Golden St. Warriorshttps://t.co/d5wRSm0GaN pic.twitter.com/HwbGmBnpNZ
— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) May 15, 2025
Integrating players into a team takes time, particularly with significant trades like the one involving Butler. As the Warriors approach a crucial offseason during the final years of Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler's primes, it is clear that the team needs time to develop chemistry.
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