Golden State Warriors came into this season with one goal in mind: To avoid being in the same position as they were last year, where they had fight for their life in the last few weeks of the regular season to get to the Play-In Tournament. It doesn’t look good. The Warriors have a 13-14 record with a 10th-place offense through one third of the regular season. Even if the postseason started today, they would have to win another play-in match to even make it to the playoffs. Golden State has the same number of losses as No. Memphis, at No. 9, is just two wins away from the lottery. Utah only has one more loss on its record. Portland has two. The Mavericks have lost only three games more than the Warriors, who are a joke in the league. Imagine that. Golden State’s early-season scuffles have many reasons. They are old and it shows. Jonathan Kuminga has been removed yet again from the starting lineup, and they are slow. On paper, the defense is ranked No. Even the number 5 feels deceptive. The scramble drills will be set up on a team that has so much trouble stopping penetration, but also lacks traditional rim guards. In the end, scoring against the Warriors isn’t difficult. They are 5-9 in games of high importance, with the league’s 7th-worst defensive performance in those minutes. Sometimes they’re so small that it is almost impossible to tell them apart. They’re killed on the glass. They turn the ball over a lot, as is a corporate policy. Then there is Jimmy Butler who, like the defense, appears to be untouchable on paper. Butler has a 19 PPG average on a career high true shooting percentage, as well as a record-breaking 44% 3 point clip. Butler is one of only five players who add five assists, five boards and 1.5 steals. According to Cleaning The Glass, the Warriors score 12.5 more points per 100 possessions with him on the court, which is the highest mark in the team. You’ll also discover that his 129.2 point per 100 shots, another career-high, is also listed. His paint touches, usage, and free-throw rate are all almost identical to last year.
With numbers like these, you’d think Butler’s influence would be felt throughout the game. You don’t. He does many little things very well, but they won’t make headlines. We know he is intelligent. Competitive. He…
Try WordAi Free
2025-12-17 16:15:04
