Jimmy Butler’s Durability is an Underrated Concern for Warriors

“Jimmy’s a question mark,” Kerr told reporters on Saturday.

“He rolled his ankle a couple of days ago, so he didn’t practice yesterday or today. That will be a training staff decision.”

Although the Warriors don’t seem overly concerned with Butler’s setback at this time, it’s certainly something the Western Conference contenders will be noting.

As dominant as Butler has been in the past, he’s had a hard time staying healthy and on the court in critical moments in recent runs for the Miami Heat. During the 2023-2024 NBA season, Butler appeared in 60 games. When the Heat made their 2024 playoff run, Butler was out after getting injured during the NBA Play-In Tournament.

After Butler got traded to the Warriors last season, he dealt with two setbacks. Fortunately, he was able to push through and play, for the most part.

When Butler debuted for the Warriors on February 8, he appeared in eight games before missing his first action on the road in Philadelphia. Butler returned the following game and played out the final 22 games of the regular season.

During the Warriors’ two-round run in the NBA Playoffs, Butler missed just one game—a Game 3 matchup against the Houston Rockets in the first round. He played in every following game up until the Warriors’ Game 5 loss against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

In 30 games with the Warriors last season, Butler saw the court for an average of 32.7 minutes per game. He posted averages of 17.9 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 5.9 assists per game. Butler shot 48 percent from the field and knocked down just 28 percent of his threes.

In the playoffs, Butler averaged 19.2 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 5.2 assists in the 11 games he played.

The Warriors plan to be right in contention in the Western Conference this year. Butler will be a major part of that, but his health at age 36 will remain something to keep an eye on.

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