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Stephen Curry claims Jimmy Butler brings unique quality to Warriors that 2022 championship team ‘didn’t even have’

Originally posted on NBA Analysis Network
By Aaditya Krishnamurthy | Last updated Oct 9, 2025 7:00 AM ET

Stephen Curry talked about the Golden State Warriors squad heading into the new season, and how it differs from their 2022 title-winning side.

The Golden State Warriors are hunting for that elusive fifth NBA championship. Winning the NBA title for the fifth time in the 11 years since their first win would be quite the accomplishment.

As things stand, the Warriors look set with their roster. The big three of Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler, and Draymond Green will lead the charge.

Young stars like LJ Cryer and Will Richard are making a positive impression on the Warriors coaching staff, and will be relied upon to contribute.

But Stephen Curry says their squad has a lot in common with the 2022 NBA championship side, aside from the presence of Jimmy Butler, who brings a new element to their side.

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Stephen Curry believes Jimmy Butler is Warriors’ X-Factor compared to 2022 championship team

Stephen Curry spoke to Malika Andrews of ESPN ahead of the new NBA season. When it comes to the Golden State Warriors’ championship aspirations, the superstar is confident.

He compared their current roster to their 2022 NBA championship roster in terms of their confidence against other sides. But he believes Jimmy Butler gives them something unique that will benefit them.

“When you go toe-to-toe, top-to-bottom, we feel like we match up well with anybody. And we just want to have an opportunity to show that in the playoffs.

“When we won in 2022, if you had told me in training camp that this was the team that would win it all, I would have believed it.

“I think there’s a little similarity here. But Jimmy adds another dynamic that we didn’t even have then. So I’m excited to see it all the way through.”

Jimmy Butler has shown he can be a playoff machine

The Golden State Warriors did not make the trade for Jimmy Butler for what he can bring in the regular season. It’s his heroics in the playoffs that made him an attractive addition.

From 2020 to 2023, Jimmy Butler led a less-than-stellar Miami Heat squad to the Eastern Conference Finals three times and the NBA Finals twice.

If Butler was able to accomplish that with an average supporting cast, the idea of him playing with Stephen Curry and Draymond Green, two of the greatest champions in history, is very tantalizing.

Butler and the Warriors can be a dangerous side in the playoffs, regardless of their regular-season seed. We saw this when the seventh-seed Warriors upset the second-seed Houston Rockets in the first round.

This article first appeared on NBA Analysis Network and was syndicated with permission.

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