The Golden State Warriors have regained their status as title contenders this year, especially since the arrival of Jimmy Butler. The small forward revitalized the team and became a key piece in their climb up the standings, putting them in playoff contention. However, a three-time NBA All-Star believes that Butler still needs to do more to help Stephen Curry.
“You bring Jimmy Butler over to be the second option and you see Steph struggling and you don’t take on the heavy load, it’s really concerning,” said Gilbert Arenas on the latest episode of his podcast, Gil’s Arena.
These harsh words came after the Warriors’ tough 106-96 loss to the Houston Rockets at Chase Center on Sunday. There, Curry was far from the level he had shown in previous games, scoring only 3 points with an unusually low shooting efficiency. In that context, Butler also struggled, contributing just 13 points.
“This is one of those games where you’re supposed to be doing you,” Arenas said about Butler. “You get all the way to the paint, 90% of every time you drive it’s pass… So if you ever paid attention, no one’s actually guarding you like that. Do you think you can turn it on in the last five minutes? That’s cool, we know you do that. But the other 43 actually do matter.”
Arenas believes Curry will need help in the playoffs
While the Warriors have undeniably improved with Jimmy Butler, Gilbert Arenas believes the forward still needs to do more to meet the team’s needs. This will become even clearer when the Western Conference playoffs arrive.
“I don’t know what you’re waiting for and I don’t know if you think you can turn it on in the playoffs and just be a super aggressive person,” Arenas said about Butler. “Right now, you’re exhausting Steph at this point. To the point where he might not even be fully energized for the playoffs.”
The Warriors cannot afford to relax right now
Beyond Gilbert Arenas’ opinion on Jimmy Butler’s role, there’s one valid point: right now, the Golden State Warriors cannot afford to save any effort. Despite their impressive comeback in recent months, they are still far from securing a spot in the NBA playoffs.
The Western Conference has just four games left in the regular season, and the standings are tight. Currently, four teams are tied for fourth place with a record of 46-32: the Los Angeles Clippers, Golden State Warriors, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Memphis Grizzlies. Just one game ahead are the Denver Nuggets. With this scenario, the battle to avoid the play-in tournament will continue until the very end.