The Golden State Warriors are 3-1 with Jimmy Butler in the lineup and there’s no doubt that he’s addressed a number of the Warriors’ weaknesses. Before making the Butler trade, the Warriors could not get to the rim or the free throw line to save their life. In the four games since the trade, both those frequency rates have skyrocketed.
Golden State has gone from 26th to second in free-throw attempts per game, thanks in large part to the 40 attempts Butler has accounted for on his own. They’re also taking six more shots in the restricted area per game, and they’re second in steals per game with Butler.
All of this is fueling easier offense for a team that now has two legitimate superstar creators rather than just one to whom the defense can devote its full attention. It has changed everything, and Draymond Green, for one, has not been shy about singing the praises of Butler, whom he called a “franchise changer” after the Warriors’ win in Houston leading into the All-Star break.
Green went even farther on Sunday night while on the desk as part of the TNT All-Star broadcast.
“I think we were kind of headed in the wrong direction, thinking we’d figured it out and never figuring it out,” Green said of pre-trade Warriors. “Since [Butler has] been here, we’ve walked into every game thinking and believing that we’re going to win that game. That goes a long way in this league.
“He’s brought back that belief,” Green continued. “And I think we’re going to win the championship.”
Woah, what was that? Say that one more time, Draymond.
“I’m sorry. I said I think we’re going to win a championship, but I lied,” Draymond clarified when asked to repeat his proclamation. “We are going to win the championship.”
Not that anyone should be surprised by Draymond Green talking a little crazy, but even for him this is a big stretch. The Warriors currently own the Western Conference’s last play-in spot with a 28-27 record. That is quite a ways form contenting for, let alone winning, a title.
Hell, two of the three games the Warriors have played with Butler in the lineup came against a team playing without its best player — first they beat the Bucks without Giannis Antetokounmpo and then lost to Dallas without Anthony Davis. One of the other wins was against the hapless Bulls. The other was legit, against the Rockets with both teams on a back-to-back.
All of this said, Green is right to point out that the Warriors feel like a team worth believing in with Butler on the floor. To what degree we should believe in them is a matter of discussion; title contender still feels like a stretch. But they’re not doubt they’re a much better and more dangerous team, and given the parity below OKC in the West, the Warriors are definitely one of the teams that could rise from that next tier to threaten for a conference crown, at least.
