The Golden State Warriors are 2–0 since adding Jimmy Butler to the starting lineup, with blowout wins over the Chicago Bulls and, on Monday, the Milwaukee Bucks. It is far too early to tell whether the trade will push the Warriors back into title contention, but so far, Stephen Curry has thrived with his new running mate.
Curry scored 38 points on 12-of-24 shooting against the Bucks, while Butler added 20 points. For the second consecutive game, Butler thrived at the free throw line, knocking down 12-of-15 from the stripe.
After the game, Curry explained just how impactful Butler has been in opening up the Golden State offense since coming over from Miami.
"Every possession just doesn't feel as hard," he said after the game. "You still see attention, you still see defenses but [opposing teams] gotta be worried about something else. And we're just putting people in the right spot, so obviously I'm going to be aggressive. Earlier in the year, that aggression didn't necessarily lead to anything as consistently as it has these last two games.
Curry added that Butler's presence has given the team more confidence about creating good shots and opportunities, which has cut down the effectiveness of opponents' double teams.
Steph Curry on Jimmy Butler’s impact on him: “Every possession doesn’t feel as hard.” pic.twitter.com/neo7Rcqr2n
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) February 11, 2025
Curry, who is averaging 23.3 points per game this season, scored 34 against the Bulls before dropping 38 on the Bucks. As a team, Golden State is 18th in the NBA in scoring at 112.2 points per game, and have scored 128.5 on average in the two games with Butler.
It's too early to make any grand statements, but the returns so far have been very positive.
At 27–26, the Warriors are up to 10th in the Western Conference, a half-game up on the Phoenix Suns for the final spot in the play-in tournament.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Stephen Curry Explains Significant Impact Jimmy Butler Has on Every Warriors Possession.
