Does Jimmy Butler make Warriors title contenders? 3 ways Steph Curry and teammates can benefit
Jimmy Butler has been traded to the Warriors ending his troubled stay in Miami. What does he bring to the Dubs alongside Stephen Curry?
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Jimmy Butler joins Stephen Curry on the Golden State Warriors
Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors are finally on the board after making the big move they have been looking for during this trade deadline. On Wednesday, the Warriors and Miami Heat finalized a trade that would send Jimmy Butler to the Warriors in exchange for Andrew Wiggins, Kyle Anderson, Dennis Schroder and Lindy Waters III in a multi-team deal.
Schroder will be headed to the Utah Jazz, while the Detroit Pistons will be acquiring Lindy Waters III and Josh Richardson. Wiggins, Anderson, and PJ Tucker from the Jazz, however, are expected to stay with the Heat, along with the Warriors’ protected first-round pick. As the details of the trade keep getting ironed out before the trade deadline, all eyes are now expected to shift towards the fit of Butler in the Warriors system.
So far this season, fans and analysts alike have been able to see very little of Butler on the floor due to his tumultuous final tenure with the Heat. The disgruntled star has been on the sidelines for much of this season due to suspensions and a chunk of last season as well due to injuries.
This begs the question: What does Jimmy Butler bring to the table for the Warriors alongside Stephen Curry and Draymond Green? Here are 3 ways the Warriors and Curry will improve after landing Butler to bolster their roster.
Jimmy Butler is a perfect fit in Steve Kerr’s offensive system
A hallmark of the Golden State Warriors’ offense has been the vaunted offensive system of head coach Steve Kerr. While the Warriors’ system has seen a number of iterations over the years, their offensive philosophy of passing and off-ball movement dominant offense has been a defining part of their success. Who better than Jimmy Butler to add to this movement-heavy offensive system?
Having played under Erik Spoelstra with the Heat, Butler is more than accustomed to playing off the ball and finding a chunk of his offense by cutting and losing players with his movement. Additionally, his fit as a secondary ball handler and shot creator next to Stephen Curry will be crucial.
The Dubs have struggled in high-pressure situations towards the end of games over the last few seasons, especially due to opposing defenses’ ability to load up on Curry and force other role players to make shots. The addition of Butler will alleviate this pressure as a consistent secondary that the Warriors can rely on when oppositions decide to pressurise Curry with multiple defenders.
Jimmy Butler fixes the Warriors rim-presence and free-throw struggles
The Warriors have struggled mightily while trying to create or finish any shot attempts at the rim. With Stephen Curry well into his late-30s, the Dubs have struggled to find consistent shot creation near the rim. More importantly, however, even when they have been able to create shots near the basket, the Warriors have unequivocally been the worst team in the league at finishing those shots.
checking in on the layup team breakdown… and yep still absolutely fucking terrible https://t.co/xrU8hkXCLz pic.twitter.com/tfUWJXwmkF
— Automatic (@automaticnba) February 1, 2025
Although they lost one of their few rim-creators with the loss of Andrew Wiggins, Jimmy Butler has made a living out of playing near the rim. With the combined rim pressure of Jonathan Kuminga and Butler, the Warriors will add a brand new component to their offense, one that they have severely lacked so far.
Warriors finishing and rim quality
byu/Front_Energy_9509 inwarriors
Another major advantage of the added rim pressure from Butler will be the free throw advantage that the Warriors gain. Not only have the Dubs been near the bottom of the league in generating the most efficient shot in basketball, but they have also been the worst free-throw shooting team in the league.
Even though Stephen Curry nearly leads the league with 94% from the charity stripe this season, the Dubs have been the worst free-throw shooting team in the league at just 72.1%. As a career 84.2% free-throw shooter, generating over 8.1 free-throws per game since joining the Heat in 2019, Jimmy Butler will be the perfect addition to fix the Dubs’ struggles.
Jimmy Butler brings the D to the Warriors defense
Andrew Wiggins brought immense defensive versatility at the forward spot for the Warriors. Not only was he one of the team’s best individual defenders, but he also added some much-needed length and strength to a mostly undersized roster. Thankfully for the Dubs, his loss will not hurt much, as these are some of the defining traits of Jimmy Butler’s defense.
Throughout his career, Butler has been seen as one of the league’s best perimeter defenders, with just enough physicality to hold his own in the paint as well. His defense alongside Bam Adebayo was a key part of Miami’s two NBA Finals runs in 2020 and 2023. He will seamlessly fit next to the defensive veteran like Draymond Green on the Warriors.
More importantly, Butler shares the same tenacity on both ends of the floor as Green, making the two a deadly combination for opposing teams. The Warriors have been built on their defensive principles, and Butler is the perfect two-way star to aid them on both ends of the floor.
The bottom line is, although the Warriors do lose some perimeter shooting by trading away a 38% three-point shooter in Wiggins, the addition of Butler brings a number of things that the Warriors have not seen in years.
In-between scoring, additional playmaking, and gritty defense make Jimmy Butler a perfect fit for Dubnation. It’s time to buckle up and see the magic Stephen Curry and Butler are able to weave together.
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Armaan Gupta
(399 Articles Published)