Three ways Jimmy Butler can help the Warriors immediately

It would be premature to assume that Jimmy Butler and the Warriors are not a good fit from an Xs and Os standpoint. 

Butler may not be a long-range sniper, but he is an elite off-ball player who stands to benefit from Stephen Curry's gravity and Draymond Green's top-of-the-key playmaking. Here, we break down three ways Butler can instantly help the Warriors on the court.

Cutting to the rim

Fans of Warriors basketball know that no other team generates more backdoor cuts with their actions — created by misdirections from Curry's nonstop movement. And no different than any other Curry year, they have attempted the most cut layups and dunks this season, per Second Spectrum. Guess what Butler loves to do more than any other star in the league? Cutting to the rim. Butler is shooting 78 percent off cuts this season, including 12-of-12 on cutting dunks. 

Another encouraging metric is Butler has made more assisted field goals (78) than unassisted (64) this season, deferring a lot to Tyler Herro. In comparison, he made 287 unassisted baskets in 2022-23, nearly 100 more than assisted field goals. Essentially, Butler can no longer be pigeonholed as an ISO-centric player.

Clutch heroics

As reliable as Curry is in the clutch, the Warriors have had serious trouble closing out teams in close games this season. They rank No. 26 in clutch points, converting on only 2.3 field goals in the final five minutes of games decided by five or fewer points. In the same criteria, they are one win above .500 (16-15) when compared to elite teams like the Cavaliers (16-6) and Celtics (16-9).

Even in a down year, Butler has been clutch. Butler ranks seventh in the league in average clutch points (3.7), making at least 1.6 field goals in the final five minutes of close games. If we peel back to the 2023 playoffs when the Heat made an improbable run to the Finals, Butler averaged 4.6 points in clutch situations across 17 postseason games. That's Michael Jordan level of clutch.

Perimeter defense

A motivated Butler can clamp down on any player in the league. Just ask Jayson Tatum or Giannis Antetokounmpo. And the notion that Butler, 35, is no longer an elite defender is exaggerated. He is holding matchups to 36 percent shooting on threes and 37.4 percent on all shots beyond 15-feet this season. Butler has also been effective at power forward next to Bam Adebayo, featuring lineups with subpar defenders such as Herro and Duncan Robinson. At 6-foot-7, Butler can similarly play next to Draymond Green while allowing Steve Kerr to field his death lineups.

The Warriors have struggled with their perimeter defense since the injury to De'Anthony Melton. While Moses Moody and Buddy Hield have been unreliable, Gary Payton II and Brandin Podziemski haven't done enough on offense to be in the closing lineups. To make matters worse, Curry is enduring one of his worst defensive seasons, ranking last among all rotational players in defensive rating (117.2). 

A closing lineup of Curry, Podziemski, Kuminga, Butler and Green can be riveting if Butler brings his A game on defense.