The Warriors enter Sunday night’s preseason game with the status of one of their stars in jeopardy. Jimmy Butler suffered what Steve Kerr calls “a minor ankle tweak” during Thursday’s practice, and his status for the team’s first exhibition game versus the Lakers is up in the air.
The Warriors’ biggest vulnerabilities lie in their players’ health status and age. This minor setback is a reminder of just how cautious the Warriors need to be with their veterans going forward.
The Bigger Picture
Stephen Curry and the Warriors need Butler healthy for when it matters most.
Missing one game that doesn’t count in the standings won’t ruin their shot at a championship down the line. Unfortunately for the Warriors, the early injury is a sign of what many consider the primary concern for the aging squad.
The roster’s ‘core four’ All-Stars — Curry, Butler, Draymond Green, and Al Horford — have an average age of 36.8 years. If Hield is inserted as the fifth starter, the opening lineup’s average age will be 35.8 years. On top of that, all four of them are significantly more injury-prone now, not only due to their age, but also due to the heavy workloads they have shouldered in recent years.
Jimmy Butler Should Take His Time
The Warriors should take their time with Butler’s health. His impact on last season, specifically when playing with Curry, will be needed again, despite Golden State having a deeper roster.
Head coach Steve Kerr has pointed to the new dimension Butler adds when discussing his role in the team. He is relied upon to help Curry in both scoring and controlling the tempo at which the team plays.
“[Last year] I told you guys, I told the team, we want to be the fastest team in the league. And we played that way,” Kerr said to reporters.
“With Jimmy, we’re not going to be that team…Jimmy controls the game, and the benefit of that far outweighs playing at a 100-mile-an-hour speed.”
The Warriors will adjust their fast, up-and-down nature to instead try and best complement Butler’s skillset. At this stage of the All-Stars’ careers, a slightly slower-paced system wouldn’t be the worst for preserving their bodies.
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Historically, a faster-paced offense has favored the Warriors. But Butler’s ability to slow the game down and make something out of nothing, especially when the offense spirals into chaos, has proven valuable for a team that is prone to turnovers.
Their updated tempo makes it harder for opposing defenses to guard Curry by forcing them to account for another ball handler and scorer. It also helps to stabilize their offense and save possessions that might end in a turnover/shot-clock violation.
Needed for the Long Haul
Butler’s ankle shouldn’t be anything severe; however, the early tweak is a sign of another hurdle the Dubs may face. An 82-game regular season is a grind. Starting the season off with one of their stars less than 100% isn’t what the Warriors had in mind.
Butler, who often takes the regular season schedule lightly, must be healthy for the team to make some noise. The Warriors know he’s capable of elevating any team he’s on. They can’t afford a compromised version of him, particularly down the stretch during the playoffs.
Steve Kerr intends to play Green, Butler, and Curry 15 minutes, if at all, on Sunday. In an ideal world, stars use the early games to get acclimated with fresh faces and build chemistry.
The Warriors want Butler to be out there. But they know they’re not playing for October; they’re playing for June.
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