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Jimmy Butler is literally a coach on the floor for red-hot Warriors
Golden State Warriors forward Jimmy Butler. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Jimmy Butler is literally a coach on the floor for red-hot Warriors

How have the Golden State Warriors won eight straight games after an 0-3 start? It helps to have a six-time All-Star coaching from the bench.

Jimmy Butler spent Monday's 138-87 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans dressed in the same outfit as the Warriors coaching staff. The light-hearted move was a symbol of how relaxed the Warriors are playing and a reminder that they'll be even better when Butler returns.

Jimmy Butler had wise coaching advice for Steph Curry

Butler surprised the Warriors by wearing an identical outfit to the coaching staff and carrying his own clipboard. On the clipboard, he drew up a play that was both wise and obvious: "Pass to Steph."

At age 38, Steph Curry is on a tear. He's shooting 45.7 percent from three-point range and ranks second in the NBA in scoring, putting up 30.6 points per game while averaging only 28.6 minutes. Monday, Curry notched 25 points on only 10 field-goal attempts, making at least four three-pointers for the sixth straight game.

Butler's antics might have been less amusing in a game the Warriors weren't winning by 50 points, but they show how comfortable the team is after their slow start. The Warriors have been energized by rookie Yaxel Lendeborg, while 23-year-old Brandin Podziemski, who received a five-year extension before the season, is averaging 16.8 points and 1.2 steals while shooting 40.6 percent from three-point range.

The Warriors have reinforcements coming

The prominence of Butler during Monday's game was a reminder that the Warriors have help coming. Butler has suggested he'll be back from his ACL rehab by January, when the Warriors could also get Moses Moody back from his own knee injury. They've also got the almost-expiring contract of Kristaps Porzingis to use in a trade.

What the Warriors also have is a collection of intelligent veterans who really could be coaches. Butler, Curry and Draymond Green are some of the smartest players in the league, while wily veteran Al Horford has a plus/minus of +49 in his last four games, largely through guile and basketball IQ. Gary Payton II and Georges Niang are still in the NBA thanks to their instincts for passing and cutting.

That's why the Warriors truly believe that they can beat anyone, especially with Butler back in the fold. They still need more depth — Will Richard and Brandon Williams are out with injuries — so a Porzingis trade might need to happen sooner than you'd think. But with a team of coaches on the floor, they've declared the Steph Curry era is far from over.

After all, they've still got a play that's virtually unstoppable: Pass to Steph.

Sean Keane

Sean Keane is a sportswriter and a comedian based in Oakland, California, with experience covering the NBA, MLB, NFL and Ice Cube’s three-on-three basketball league, The Big 3. He’s written for Comedy Central’s “Another Period,” ESPN the Magazine, and Audible.com. His debut album “America’s Uncle Dad” debuted at No. 1 on the iTunes comedy chart and since 2016, he’s co-hosted the NBA podcast “Roundball Rock. In 2014, the San Francisco Bay Guardian named Keane an “Outstanding Local Discovery” and promptly went out of business.

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