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When the Golden State Warriors pulled off a trade for Jimmy Butler, fan reaction was mixed. After all, Butler had tanked his value so much by burning his bridges with the Miami Heat, and yet the Warriors didn't just decide to trade for him, they also decided to sign him to a two-year, $111 contract extension — shoving all risks to the side and deeming him worth it if only for his history as one of the best postseason performers in recent memory.
And so far, Butler has been every bit impactful as the Warriors had anticipated. Coming off a debut for Golden State in which he scored 25 points, the 35-year-old forward stuffed the stat sheet in a 125-111 win for the Dubs over the Milwaukee Bucks, tallying 20 points, nine rebounds, six assists, and four steals. In so doing, Butler joined some impressive company when it comes to Warriors newcomers.
As pointed out by StatMamba on X (formerly Twitter), Butler became just the third player in Warriors franchise history to record at least 40 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists in their first two games with the team, joining Kevin Durant (2016) and Guy Rodgers (1958) in that exclusive club.
It's a bit poetic that Butler is making a similar sort of impact (at least based on the box score production) as Durant did for the team during his first games for the Warriors back in 2016. After all, the Dubs had been setting their sights on potentially bringing Durant back via trade with the Phoenix Suns, only for the two-time NBA Finals MVP to shut down that notion.
But Butler has been every bit as good as advertised, and the Warriors have now won two straight games as a result. The 35-year-old forward gives the Dubs a different dimension on offense, and now that he's motivated after being financially rewarded, there's no reason to expect him to taper off.
Can Jimmy Butler lead the Warriors to a deep playoff run?
Of course, the Warriors' best player remains Stephen Curry. But Jimmy Butler can also function as the engine of a contending team, as evidenced by the way he led the Heat to the NBA Finals back in 2020 and 2023.
Butler can manufacture easy buckets for the Warriors by sheer force; he puts pressure on the rim by playing bully ball, which then opens up some space on the perimeter. The Dubs may not be in the playoff picture at the moment, but they should soon be if they continue playing like this.
