As the Golden State Warriors fell to the Minnesota Timberwolves in five games, their championship hopes for this season came to an end, and, largely as a result of a disappointing performance from Jimmy Butler in the absence of superstar Stephen Curry, there began to be doubts surrounding the duo’s capability of winning a championship within their current window.

Former NBA star Carmelo Anthony recently diagnosed Butler’s troubles in Curry’s absence, saying, “When you first get to the team, you have this level of excitement and adrenaline, and like everybody’s excited and it just gets going. But… when the house settles in, and now we got to make this playoff run, the excitement is there, the adrenaline is there, but now, you don’t know how Steph Curry operates at that level.”

While Anthony’s comments highlight the troubles Butler faced in being the primary scorer for a depleted Warriors team, his critiques can largely be explained by the fact that Butler, being a trade deadline acquisition, did not have a full season to become acquainted with what it takes to win with or without Curry.

Butler can lead the offense given the right amount of time to acclimate

For many, there is almost no question that Golden State made the correct move in trading for Jimmy Butler at the trade deadline this season. His arrival to the team transformed the Warriors from fringe play-in contenders to a team that many speculated could make the Conference Finals, giving the offense another scorer they could rely on and the defense a strong and intense playmaker.

Yet, when Curry exited Game 1 against the Minnesota Timberwolves with a strained hamstring, Butler failed to step up to the level that the team needed him to, averaging only 20.2 points and failing to extend the series long enough to allow for Curry’s return.

Anthony’s critique, while it centers around the fact that Butler indeed failed to stave off elimination, also highlights the limited time that Butler had to become accustomed to the offensive structure of his new team.

The Golden State roster, without question, is constructed heavily around the gravity that Curry creates with his danger from beyond the arc, utilizing perimeter shooters and players that do not necessarily need to create their own shots.

Butler, walking into a new team, was forced to quickly learn what the Warriors’ system demanded of him, and, when Curry went down, these demands changed drastically.

During the regular season, Butler only played in three games for Golden State in which Curry was injured, preventing him from becoming accustomed to what it takes for him to be the primary scorer in an unfamiliar environment. With time, Butler will gain an understanding of not only what it takes for Curry to carry the team on his back but what he can do to shoulder that same load without Curry.

While the Warriors will definitely need Curry available as often as possible to make a run at a title, it is very possible that next season will allow Butler the time to acclimate as a more dependable primary scorer for his new team, giving the franchise insurance that they sorely lacked this season.