The Golden State Warriors and Jimmy Butler are still enjoying their honeymoon phase, though plenty of critics are counting down the months before the trade goes sour. Golden State has gone 16-4 since acquiring the veteran forward from the Miami Heat in a mid-season trade, with Butler set to play against his former team for the first time Tuesday night.
Butler recently gave his own reasons for why he's fit in well with the Warriors thus far, stating that the organization has accountability and also gives him a healthy amount of freedom to do as he pleases.
Despite some initial hesitation about Butler's fit in Golden State—including concerns from Steph Curry himself—the six-time All-Star has undeniably helped the once-mid Warriors rise up to the No. 6 seed in the West. With Curry dealing with injuries lately, Butler has stepped up big for the team, recording 23 points or more in three of his last four games.
Butler has looked every bit as comfortable in Warriors' lineups alongside Curry and other Warriors stars, and part of his effortless chemistry with the team could be traced back to a simple conversation he had with Warriors coach Steve Kerr following his blockbuster trade.
Back when the trade went down in early February, Kerr reportedly had two clear-cut demands for Butler. Other than that, Kerr encouraged Butler to be himself.
The Athletic's Anthony Slater wrote about Butler's first interaction with Kerr:
He’d never had a conversation with Kerr prior to the trade-deadline blockbuster that sent him to Golden State. But in their first one-on-one, the Warriors’ coach laid out his two non-negotiables: Show up on time and compete to win as part of the group. That’s it.
“We welcome personal quirkiness and individualism, and I think guys always feel a sense of freedom here,” Kerr said. “I told Jimmy that from Day 1. I said, ‘You be you.'”
Butler will certainly try to be himself in Tuesday's road matchup against the Heat, where he'll travel to his old arena and look to silence his doubters in Miami.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Warriors' Steve Kerr Laid Out Two Non-Negotiables for Jimmy Butler After Trade.
