“Fourteen free throws and 10 assists,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. “We put him through everything and he delivered. But that’s to be expected. He’s a superstar for a reason.”
He was the player the Warriors needed in this stretch without Curry, and sometimes even when Curry was on the floor, he was out, especially when he made two baskets in a row at the end of the third quarter, or when he knocked down a bucket with just over a minute left in regulation to help seal the game.
Gary Payton II also hit some key shots, as he poured in 19 points and grabbed a career-high 11 rebounds, but it was Butler who carried a struggling Warriors group across the finish line in a game with a date against the defending NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday and a three-game East-Coast swing on the horizon. Butler’s ability to control the game at his pace and make a difference that the Warriors can rely on was one of the main reasons the Warriors acquired him last season.
“We were trying to get him to attack like that early on,” Warriors forward Draymond Green said. “And he just kept telling us, ‘They’re loading. So we need to create some other movement because they’re loading right now.’ Once everyone else started moving around him, it opened up the gaps and he was able to do what he did. So when Steph is not out, we definitely need him to be more aggressive, and he was tonight.
Green said that without Curry, the Warriors “definitely called a lot more plays,” and played with much less randomness than usual. Green said the Warriors will have to play with more structure and move the ball faster to be successful without Curry. They also need Butler to continue his willpower as he did against a bad Pelicans team, just as he did during his 15-year career leading to NBA stardom. Buttler knows it’s within his game, he doesn’t like to force things unless it’s necessary.
As far as the Warriors are concerned, as long as Curry is out, it will be essential.
“Jimmy doesn’t necessarily want to shoot the ball,” Kerr said. “He really just loves to play the right basketball. He reminds me a lot of Andre Iguodala in that regard. He’s very principled in his approach to basketball. He wants everybody to play the right way. He wants to make the right pass. But there are times, and tonight was one of those times, where we just needed him to take charge, attack and try to score. And he did that tonight.”
Iguodala, who sat courtside Saturday night to watch his longtime Warriors teammate Kevon Looney (now a member of the Pelicans), was honored after 10 years in the Bay. Iguodala saw firsthand how hard Butler played in the NBA bubble and formed a strong relationship with him during the Miami Heat’s unlikely run to the NBA Finals that season. There is a lot of mutual respect between the two for how each goes about their business. Naming Iguodala in any comparison is high praise from Kerr.
Kerr said Butler was “unbelievable” in handling Saturday’s game, but Butler still rejected the notion that he would have to perform more offensively by shutting out Curry.
“Sometimes,” Butler said. “But I’m still going to play basketball the right way. If you’re open, I’ll give you the ball. I don’t care what anybody says. This is the (right) basketball game. And I expect the guy that’s ready to shoot it or make something else for someone else because it’s the basketball game.”
Butler wants to choose his place. He wants his teammates to take care of the ball and believes that perfect play will always be possible through movement. But he also has the confidence – and ego – to know when it’s time to make his mark on the game. The confidence Butler had provided to the rest of the Warriors appeared to be shaken late in the second quarter when Pelicans guard Micah Peavy undercut him under the basket, but Butler remained in the game.
Asked whether the injury was caused more by his elbow or hip, Butler said it was “straight ass”, angering Green, who was changing clothes nearby. Butler expressed hope he can play Tuesday and reiterated how much he enjoys competing with this group.
“I think we’ve got a special team,” Butler said. “So let’s go out there and show we can do something special on Tuesday.”
To do that, especially against the Thunder team that dominated him earlier this month, Butler will have to put in a special performance. He may not want to be the type of player that takes over the game and plays a one-on-one style, but if the Warriors want to find success without Curry on the floor, that’s what Butler will have to do. Just like he did on Saturday night.
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