Jimmy Butler has been exactly what the doctor ordered in Golden State... or maybe it was what Draymond Green ordered.
In a deep dive from The Athletic into how Jimmy Butler has changed the vibe around the Warriors comes this nugget about Draymond Green telling management what they needed.
Before Butler arrived, Green had a standing request of the team’s front office that he deemed vital to their renaissance: Go get another “a**hole,” as one team source described it. Another fiery, two-way talent like him who would say what needed to be said at all times and compete on the knife’s edge on both ends of the floor.
Jimmy Butler is the a**hole the Warriors needed.
The Warriors are 5-1 in games he has played with the third-best defense in the league during that stretch. Butler’s defensive versatility is a big part of that (especially when combined with Green, who remains a high-level defender). Watch this possession against Sacramento when Butler seems to guard every King player on the court.
Watch Jimmy pic.twitter.com/PLvRQqufAU
— Joe Viray (@JoeVirayNBA) February 22, 2025
It’s just six games, the Warriors have 26 regular season games left, followed by the postseason (which could include the play-in for the No. 9 seed, as things stand today). The Warriors will evolve, and how teams attack the Warriors with Butler will also evolve. Things will be different.
What matters more is that Golden State is playing with a lot more fire and energy, and that is due to having an engaged Jimmy Butler in the rotation. He was just the a**hole they needed.
