The Warriors are 2-0 since trade-deadline acquisition Jimmy Butler made his debut, and coach Steve Kerr is thoroughly enjoying what the six-time NBA All-Star brings to Golden State.
It isn't just his play, as Kerr explained to 95.7 The Game's "Willard & Dibs" on Tuesday, but the energy Butler brings to the court as well alongside stars Steph Curry and Draymond Green.
"I think it's interesting, just being a part of a team year after year, and you see the subtle shifts in the psychology, the emotion, the confidence," Kerr said. "Some of it is based on the roster itself. Some of it is based on the rest of the league, where the league is and how other teams are doing. And I just think we have gotten to a point that really, this year, where we didn't have whatever 'it' is, however you want to describe 'it,' we didn't have the 'it' factor anymore, and wasn't anybody's fault.
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"Sometimes you just need new blood. I think the West has gotten so much better. Teams around us have gotten so much better. And frankly, we needed what Jimmy is bringing us, which is kind of a star confidence. You can just feel his presence and his force. And I think it's infusing the team with some energy, some new energy that we needed."
Kerr on what Jimmy brings to the Warriors 👏 pic.twitter.com/6KBVWsv5ic
— 95.7 The Game (@957thegame) February 12, 2025
Butler's ability to attack the rim and draw fouls has worked wonders for the Warriors. His intellect, paired with his fire, has produced a tangible impact in the two games he has played with Golden State -- both without a single practice. Butler is making the game easier not only for the Warriors' role players, but even Curry himself, who has found his shooting prowess again.
Curry scored a team-high 38 points on 12-of-24 shooting from the field, including 6 of 16 beyond the arc, in Golden State's 125-111 win over the Milwaukee Bucks on Monday, two days after scoring 34 points on 10-of-19 shooting with eight 3-pointers against the Chicago Bulls.
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"There's definitely a correlation," Curry told reporters after Monday's win of Butler's impact on his recent shooting surge. "Just being organized offensively and being able to have an outlet or a different look if they want to trap. Every possession just doesn't feel as hard. You still see attention; you still see defenses, but you have to worry about something else.
"We're just putting people in the right spots. So obviously, I've got to be aggressive. I think earlier in the year, that aggression didn't necessarily lead to anything as consistently as it has these last two games."
The Warriors dynasty might feel far away now, but Butler's arrival in Golden State has the team playing with a tenacity reminiscent of those days. And Dub Nation certainly hopes that feeling lasts.