With Butler’s help, Warriors are getting their swagger back originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
The Warriors have rediscovered their bravado and are brandishing it like a threatened viper bares its fangs. They have no credibility as bullies, but they’re acting the part and, moreover, getting away with it. They’re starting to believe they’ll earn it.
When the fourth quarter started Monday night in Milwaukee, the Warriors had a six-point lead and were being outshot by the Bucks. Two minutes later, the Bucks were within two. “Clutch game” clouds were forming, and that often means a storm is waiting.
Not so on this night. The Warriors took over the final 10 minutes, recording six steals, getting 11 points each from Stephen Curry and Quinten Post, and outscoring the Bucks 33-21 to strut out of Fiserv Forum with a 125-111 victory. This was Golden State’s second consecutive win that was closed with levels of intellect, tenacity and conviction often missing this season. And it stems from the presence of Jimmy Butler.
“It’s made sense so far,” Curry told reporters in Milwaukee. “We’ve put together, after the first half in Chicago [on Thursday], six pretty good quarters with intentionality, good effort. You see the positives of what Jimmy brings on both ends of the floor. Just a high IQ guy, a competitor who plays under control all the time.”
Intellect, tenacity and conviction, all required for the Warriors to reach their ceiling, were variable in the first two games of this road trip, with the Warriors outscored 20-6 in the final three minutes against the Utah Jazz last Wednesday and on Thursday fell behind 20-8 six minutes after tipoff against the Lakers in Los Angeles.
There were numerous encouraging signs for Golden State in Monday’s win, but Butler’s second consecutive uplifting appearance was the most visible. He was as impactful on this night as in their second-half destruction of the Bulls on Saturday in Chicago.
“The guys feel really good about these two games, recognizing that both games were games we might have lost earlier in the season,” coach Steve Kerr said. “The fact that Jimmy went to the line 15 times tonight and 13 times the other night shows you the power of free throws, the ability to get your defense set and settle a game down when it needs settling. It’s a big change.”
Butler finished with 20 points – 12 in the second half, with eight coming on free throws – and added nine rebounds, six assists and four steals. His numbers were solid, his presence massive. The 35-year-old forward has not practiced with the Warriors, but already is pumping high-octane adrenaline into the entire roster.
A clearly revivified Curry posted his second consecutive game connecting efficiency and production. He scored a team-high 38 points on 12-of-24 shooting from the field, including 6 of 16 beyond the arc. After shooting 25 of 66 (12 of 38 from deep) in the two games Before Jimmy, Curry is 22 of 43 and 14 of 32 in the first two games After Jimmy.
“Oh,” Curry said, “there’s definitely a correlation.”
When Steph looks like Steph, the odds greatly improve on the chances of the Warriors looking like the team they believe they are. But his supporting cast is energized. Buddy Hield is emerging from his own personal quicksand. Draymond Green and Brandin Podziemski contributed their second consecutive highly effective performances.
Post’s work in the fourth quarter was critical to burying the Bucks. His first triple in the fourth quarter pushed the lead from two to five, his second, 19 seconds later, from five to eight and forced Milwaukee timeout. His last 3-bomb, with 6:50 remaining put the score at 108-94.
The Warriors (27-26) are bouncy and joyful, and Butler’s defensive intuition and his deliberate approach to generating offense has been a boon not only for Curry but anyone who joins him on the floor.
And, yes, the rookie indulged himself in some primal screams.
“Jimmy’s IQ and his feel for the game makes the game easier for everyone,” Kerr said. “But it specially makes the game easier for role players. I always felt, as a player, if I could play with stars the game became dramatically easier. That’s what you’re seeing with Jimmy. The space he takes up, the ball movement, the passing, the ability to post up and let the game settle down, that makes things a lot it easier for on Moses [Moody] and BP and others.”
The Warriors were playing a Bucks squad that was without superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo, but that’s barely relevant for a team trying to develop chemistry with a new acquisition who possesses a commanding carriage – but is trying to play his way into game condition. Butler played 29 minutes in Chicago on Saturday and put in 31 against the Bucks.
The first two pages of Butler’s existence as a Warrior have been wondrous. His statistics are good but barely measure his impact. It’s only two games, but the Butler Effect is genuine, the only question being how long it remains so.
