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Jimmy Butler, Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors

Since acquiring Jimmy Butler ahead of the Feb. 6 trade deadline, the Golden State Warriors are 12-2 with him in the lineup. The veteran forward drastically improved Steve Kerr’s team.

In his 12 games for the Warriors, Butler is averaging 17.1 points, 5 rebounds and 5.4 assists. According to a scout who spoke to ESPN’s Tim Bontemps, Butler’s addition to the Warriors will mean that no team will want to see them in the postseason.

“No one will want to play them in the playoffs,” the scout said. “Jimmy with fresh legs and motivation … honeymoon-phase Jimmy is a motherf****r…People way too quickly forgot what Jimmy Butler can do. He’s not a franchise player in that he doesn’t do it in the regular season, but when it comes to the playoffs, he’s a franchise player. He’s a superstar when you need to be winning.”

Butler’s presence has also helped elevate those around him. His ability to pressure the rim, provide secondary creation, and play lockdown defense against multiple positions has opened up the offense. If the Warriors continue to show improvement with Butler in the rotation, they could make some noise once the playoffs begin.

Draymond Green Shares Secret to Butler’s Hot Start

During a Feb. 21 postgame news conference following the Warriors’ 132-108 win over the Sacramento Kings, Draymond Green explained why Butler has been able to hit the ground running. Green also credited Stephen Curry‘s leadership and the role it played in allowing Butler to slot into the Warriors system quickly.

“The secret to success here is that no one who has come here has had to be anyone other than who they are,” Green said. “And that’s due to having a leader like Steph Curry. You have a face of the franchise like Steph Curry, who is inviting as he is, then everyone else has to fall in line. So, when people come here, they feel comfortable being themselves. Because he’s never going to try to have you be anything opposite.”

While we’re still early into Butler’s tenure in the Bay Area, it’s clear that he could be the missing piece to the team’s chances of giving Curry and Green their fifth championship ring.

Warriors’ Warned of Butler Partnership

During a recent appearance on the ‘Steiny and Guru’ show for 95.7 The Game, NBA.com senior writer Steve Aschburner sent the Warriors a warning over their decision to acquire Butler.

“Enjoy the honeymoon,” Aschburner said. “…This gets down to the situation of are you going to believe what he says about the fifth wife? Are you going to believe how it worked out with all the first four wives? I think that Jimmy Butler is — I don’t know how to say this — he sort of burns through relationships, seems to me, and I was around him quite a lot when he was in Chicago.”

Golden State knew the risk when it acquired Butler. However, if his addition leads to another championship, then the front office’s roll of the dice will prove to be a success.

After all, Curry and Green are entering the twilight of their careers, and the goal was to remain competitive, and adding Butler has helped the franchise do just that.