The Golden State Warriors appear to have hit a home run with the acquisition of Jimmy Butler from the Miami Heat to bolster their roster alongside Stephen Curry. Since his arrival, Butler has made an immediate impact, playing in two games, both wins, and showcasing his skills on both ends of the court. However, Draymond Green revealed the candid conversation he had with Butler about his role on the team.
Through two games in a Warriors uniform, Butler has been a standout, averaging 22.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2.5 steals per game while shooting 45.8% from the field and making an impressive 28 trips to the free-throw line.
Despite Butler’s well-known passing ability, Green shared on the recent episode of “The Draymond Green Show with Baron Davis” that he told Butler the team needs him to focus on scoring.
“He came to the sideline yesterday, and he had passed up a shot, and he was like, ‘I should have shot that?’ And I said, ‘Brother, let me tell you something: this team don’t need your passing at all,’” Green revealed. “What this team needs is for you to score. Like, we need you to go score 25, 30 points”.
Green acknowledged Butler’s natural instinct to distribute the ball but stressed the team’s need for a secondary scorer following the departure of Andrew Wiggins to the Miami Heat.
“You’re a great passer like Steph, so you’re naturally going to see the pass when it’s there, but we need you to think shoot first, score first—25, 30 points, that’s what we need you to be,” Green continued. “He went back out there: foul, bucket, and-one—that’s what we need, bro”.
Green believes Warriors have championship pedigree
Butler’s arrival seems to have reignited the Warriors’ confidence, which had been lacking earlier in the season. Green, in particular, feels the team now possesses the pedigree necessary to compete at the highest level.
“One-million-percent,” Green said when asked if he, Curry, and head coach Steve Kerr felt the Warriors regained some championship swagger after their win over the Bulls. “I wouldn’t necessarily say we have championship swagger. We have championship pedigree. The championship swagger is what we’re trying to find again”.
Butler admits he needs to be in better shape
Butler’s final stretch with the Miami Heat was anything but smooth. Due to multiple team-imposed suspensions, he played in only six games after December 20. As a result, Butler says he’s still working to regain his peak conditioning.
“You gotta think, I haven’t played basketball in a month,” Butler said following the Warriors’ victory over the Bucks, via ESPN. “My wind is nowhere close to where it needs to be. I can’t wait until I’m back in basketball shape where I’m used to being. I won’t miss free throws as much. I’ll have lift on my jump shots. Right now, I’m just gassed. I’m glad we’re winning, but I gotta get in better shape”.