With less than a month left in the season, the Golden State Warriors are 40-29 and own the No. 6 seed in the Western Conference. After it seemed like they were in legitimate danger of missing the playoffs once again, the Warriors have turned things around. A big reason for this is the arrival of Jimmy Butler, who the Warriors acquired at the trade deadline. Since landing Butler, the Warriors are 15-4 and are one of the hottest teams in the league. When the Warriors made this move, it was with a championship in mind. Now, they look poised to make a playoff run and potentially return to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2022.
Recently, Butler spoke about his maturity and growth as a player throughout his career. In doing so, the Marquette alum made it clear that he no longer cares about stats and is now a team-first player. Additionally, because of his growth as a player, Butler’s mentality can prove to be essential as the Warriors look to win another title.
Jimmy Butler III: “I think I’ve matured a lot… Whenever I was young in the league, it was always score score score… Now it’s always about my guys. Whatever you all need me to do… It’s only about winning at this point.”
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— 95.7 The Game (@957thegame) March 19, 2025
“I think I’ve matured a lot and grew into that,” Butler told the media. “Whenever I was young in the league, it was always score, score, score, [and] show everybody that you belong in this league. I know that I belong in this league now. I’m comfortable with who I am as a player. So now it’s always about my guys, whatever you all need me to do. [Draymond Green]’s the same way. Steph’s the same way. All of us that have been in the league for a little bit. It’s only about winning at this point in time in our career, and for them, it always has been. Not the same for me, but now I’m winning.”
Warriors Veteran Reveals How Mentality Change Can Lead to Title
The Warriors’ Outlook With Jimmy Butler
The Warriors are a much better team now that they have Butler. They have improved a lot, especially defensively, and they are a threat. There is a lot to like about the Warriors this year. However, there is a lot of competition in front of them.
If the season ended today, the Warriors would meet up against the Denver Nuggets in the first round of the playoffs. This is a challenging first-round matchup for anybody in the playoffs. As it stands, it will be tough for the Warriors to climb the standings. They are three games behind the No. 5 seed Memphis Grizzlies. Furthermore, they are closer to the No. 8 seed than they are to the No. 6 seed. A Play-In spot is still possible for Golden State. This is especially true given how competitive the West is.
Regardless, the Warriors are a well-rounded team and should not be taken lightly in the postseason. Adding Butler has given them a new life. Whether they can capitalize on this, however, remains unknown.
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