Winning is all that matters to Jimmy Butler. That was the case during his time with the Miami Heat, and Butler’s winning mentality has completely altered the trajectory of the Golden State Warriors. Since his addition to the lineup alongside Stephen Curry and Draymond Green, Butler and the Warriors have gone 12-2 overall, losing just once when he plays.
The Warriors’ championship aspirations are once again relevant now that Butler is a part of the mix, and the six-time All-Star finally has a home where he feels truly appreciated. Although Golden State held high aspirations to reunite with and acquire Kevin Durant at the trade deadline, Butler was the star they ended up with.
About one month later, the Dubs would be confident enough to tell anyone that they had made the right decision.
Butler has been everything this organization had been searching for next to Curry. His winning demeanor and intensity are two things Golden State hasn’t seen in a true second star for quite some time, and Butler has fit in perfectly as a two-way threat with or without the ball in his hands.
When this trade occurred, many questioned how the 35-year-old star forward would handle the fit alongside Curry and Green. However, Butler never had any concerns, especially after the lengthy conversations he had with the Warriors’ two leaders.
“I talked to both [Curry and Green], but I’ve talked to both of them for a while. But they said, ‘We can do something special. We need what you bring. The winning mentality, the hard nose on both sides of the ball,’” Butler told Marc J. Spears of ESPN’s Andscape. “I think that’s what you want. That’s what they told me that I bring and I’m like, ‘Come on with it.’”
The divorce Butler went through with the Heat stole much of his joy for the game he’s loved. Between constantly being suspended by the team and feeling like he was being undervalued, Butler desperately needed a new change in scenery was needed.
While the Phoenix Suns were his top choice and the team constantly associated in trade conversations for Butler leading up to the trade deadline, the veteran star will admit that he could not have ended up in a better spot than with Golden State.
It is rare for a star player of Jimmy’s caliber to join a team like the Dubs and immediately make as great of an impact as he has since the trade deadline. Usually, it takes time for chemistry to be built amongst star players, yet the Warriors have expedited this process because everyone’s mindset is the same — win right now.
That is all Butler wants, and now, he’s with an organization that truly values what he brings to the table in their immediate championship pursuit.
“I saw a group that wanted me to be a part of it. That’s all you ever wanted to be is wanted in this life, not just in this league,” Butler said. “In anything, you want to be wanted. Needed is like a necessity. Wanted is like somebody’s choosing to bring you aboard this.
“I think that’s the ultimate sign of respect.”
Butler, who has always been one of the most unselfish stars in this league, has resurrected the Warriors’ championship hopes. He will look to keep the momentum going on Thursday night in the Bay Area against the Sacramento Kings.
The post What Warriors’ Stephen Curry, Draymond Green first told Jimmy Butler after trade appeared first on ClutchPoints.
0 Mga Komento