The addition of Jimmy Butler to the Golden State Warriors has utterly transformed them. After going 15-15 to start the season, the Dubs are now 22-8 in their last 30 games. The impact Jimmy has had on them is obvious. Clearly, Steve Kerr and the Warriors’ front office knew what they were doing when they signed him from the Miami Heat. But coach Kerr noticed something about the newest star on his roster only after he arrived in the Bay Area.
We’ll get to that, but first we need to address Butler’s performance against the Lakers tonight. With 11 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 assists, it seems as though Butler had a quiet night against the Lakers. But no, Butler was doing his job on the floor tonight. Steve Kerr revealed the impact Jimmy had on the Dubs locker room. And apart from their record, their mindsets and behavior have also changed since Butler’s addition.
“Once Jimmy got here, the roster became just cleaner,” Kerr said appreciatively after the game.
“The decision-making for us as coaches became much easier. BP and Moses instantly became better players playing next to Jimmy and everything just kind of made sense. So I think the whole felt that, and so pretty early on there was a sense of belief. Jimmy is, he’s one of the best players in the league for a reason, and the best players impact the rest of the team in a dramatic way. It’s not just about scoring points, it’s about making everybody else better. And that’s what Jimmy’s doing.”
Jimmy sized up the defense
& made his move pic.twitter.com/mcTNI4SYDP
— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) April 4, 2025
And tonight, despite not going ballistic for the Warriors, Jimmy and Draymond Green’s presence allowed players like Brandin Podziemski and Stephen Curry to pop off. While not readily apparent, such contributions are crucial for a team with title hopes.
But like we said earlier, you’ll be surprised to learn that Jimmy’s brilliance actually went under the radar for Steve Kerr as well. And tonight, he revealed just what it took for him to finally appreciate Butler.
Steve Kerr talks about how Jimmy Butler is special despite not being an “obvious superstar”
Even while Jimmy Butler was in Miami, he was among the best players in the league. But he didn’t always get that recognition despite carrying them to two finals. Perhaps losing them didn’t help. But the sheer fact that he took them there should have been enough.
However, now the way his presence has dramatically improved the Dubs means that people are finally understanding just how good he is. And one of the people who learned how good Jimmy was only after he joined the Warriors was none other than their head coach, Steve Kerr. Here’s what he said.
“Well, Jimmy is a great, great all-around basketball player…He’s not an obvious superstar. You have to watch him for a little bit. I know seeing him for a couple of weeks when he got here gave me a much greater appreciation than I had for him before. Because you realize how big of an impact every single solid play that he makes on us. The impact is dramatic…As I said, he’s made everybody else a lot better,” finished Kerr.
And no one can deny Steve’s words after the way Jimmy has transformed the Warriors. If he keeps putting these shifts in—night in and night out, then the Warriors will be truly unstoppable. And Steph’s 5 rings? That’ll come quite easily. Or at least, the chances are high.
But they have another test coming their way tomorrow night. The Denver Nuggets are next on the docket for them. And a team with reigning MVP Nikola Jokic will never be easy. So, their next game will be quite telling for Jimmy and the Dubs!
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