With a 126-102 blowout against the Dallas Mavericks, the Golden State Warriors secured a three-game win streak and improved to 5-1 since their acquisition of Jimmy Butler at the trade deadline. The Dubs had to part ways with Kyle Anderson, Dennis Schroder, Lindy Waters III, and, notably, Andrew Wiggins, who had spent the last six seasons in San Francisco.
While fans lauded the Warriors’ front office for landing an All-Star without sacrificing any of their youth, there were also concerns about whether Butler would truly be an upgrade over Wiggins. After all, the Canadian wing was an essential component of the defensive system Steve Kerr had implemented.
However, through his first 6 games, the former Miami Heat star has dispelled any qualms Dub nation might have harbored about him. Despite enjoying tremendous success through the early days of Butler’s stint, coach Kerr, however, doesn’t see any reason to undermine the contributions of Wiggins.
“I don’t really like to compare Wiggs and Jimmy. The whole thing is circumstantial,” the veteran head coach said on 95.7 The Game’s ‘Willard & Dibs’ show. “You could tell before the trade that our team wasn’t getting anywhere… The timing was right more than anything for Jimmy to come in here.”
“He [Butler] is a different kind of player. Where we are right now, compared to a few years ago, we needed this kind of player and that’s why we made the deal,” Kerr added.
Wiggins’ contributions as a two-way wing were essential in helping the Dubs lift the Larry O’Brien trophy in 2022. At the same time, his career-high assists per game average was just 3.6, which became more of an issue as that championship-winning roster began to age. Butler, on the other hand, boasts a career average of 4.3 assists per game. It’s among the biggest areas the 35-year-old has impacted since joining Golden State.
Steve Kerr reflected on what Butler brings to the table
During his 6-year stint in South Beach, Butler recorded eight 40-point games. In Miami Heat history, there have been only 18. He also set the franchise record for points in a game with 56 against the Bucks in 2023. Of course, that high volume scorer isn’t who the Warriors landed in this trade.
As Kerr himself knows, Jimmy Buckets will be a different beast come Playoff time, but through his first 6 regular season appearances for the Dubs, the two-way wing has dominated with his IQ and playmaking.
“I love his passing. I just feel like every time he puts the ball on the floor and makes a pass, it’s not spectacular, but it makes the game flow. That’s exactly what this team needs,” Golden State’s head coach shared with Mark Willard and Dan Dibley.
“It’s really just the efficiency of his game. He’s incredibly sound fundamentally… We’ve always been at our best with high IQ guys around Steph and Draymond and that’s what I’m seeing with Jimmy.”
Joining his fifth team, the six-time All-Star deserves credit for how seamlessly he has fit into the Warriors’ system. In the last 6 games, Butler is averaging 20 points, 5.7 rebounds and 5.5 assists. And as Kerr pointed out, he’s generating those assists while limiting his mistakes to just 1 turnover per game.
However, the most notable aspect of Butler’s game has been his ability to get to the charity stripe. Since joining the Dubs, he ranks third in the league in made free-throws, already hitting 55 foul shots as a Warrior. Tonight, Jimmy & Co. will gun for their fourth consecutive win when they take on the Charlotte Hornets.
