SAN FRANCISCO – The Warriors went through a spirited scrimmage on Friday, and the performance of one of the team’s elder statesmen drew rave reviews.
The gym on this day belonged to Jimmy Butler III.
“He just had an incredible practice,” coach Steve Kerr said.
“He wasn’t on my team, so I didn’t like to see it,” Stephen Curry said partly in jest.
“But it was indicative of the ceiling that we can get to with a guy like that. A guy who at any moment knows how to win.”
Even Butler’s faux nemesis, Buddy Hield, offered nothing but props to the man who turned 36 last month.
“Jimmy dominated practice today,” Hield said. “It was great for him. He looked really good and professional today. It was great. Great energy.”
Though general praise tends to flow freely in every training camp, the reaction in this instance is highly encouraging for the Warriors. There are many stories of Butler dominating scrimmages in his previous stops, whether Chicago or Minnesota or Philadelphia or Miami.
Butler’s infamous scrimmage with the Timberwolves in 2018 is one that made its way around the NBA. Three weeks after asking to be traded, he led a group of reserves to victory over a squad that included four starters, with center Karl-Anthony Towns often the target of his ferocity. Butler was loud, hyperaggressive and, well, a winner.
That last trait is welcome in Golden State. Though there was no indication hostility, seeing him bring juice to a scrimmage warms the heart of the team’s established veterans like Curry and Green.
For doing so with the Warriors, who belong to Curry more than anyone, suggests Butler still is capable of being The Man. That while he embraces being “Robin” to Curry’s “Batman,” – the roles can be interchangeable upon request.
“I just think he took it up a notch today,” Hield said. “He wasn’t chirping like that Jimmy we know of. He was a silent killer, and his work speaks himself.”
There were shades of that Jimmy last season, as Butler occasionally took over portions of a game, usually when Curry was off the floor. He managed to make a significant impact despite being the new guy, tossed onto the roster during the searing heat of a playoff chase.
“Last year, Jimmy didn’t know any defensive terminology,” Draymond Green said last week. “We were just making it work.”
Butler this season is with the Warriors for a full training camp, which followed team workouts he arranged in the days before camp officially began. He’ll miss the third preseason game, Sunday against the Lakers in Los Angeles, for what Kerr called a “wonderful” personal matter, but he is scheduled to practice Saturday in LA before departing.
This was, in a way, a reminder. Butler putting together a “Himmy Lives” display can only be beneficial for young Warriors to witness and veterans to realize his back pocket contains plenty of what they hope to see once the regular season begins on Oct. 21.
“He was very impactful, across the board, getting to his spots, (flashing) his competitive will,” Curry said. “Our practices have been at pretty high level. Not every day, scrimmaging, but he kind of built up to a good session today. From the jump, Jimmy was attacking the rim, dictating the pace on both ends.”
This is the Butler the Warriors need to threaten teams beyond Curry, and every occasion he shows up will be greeted with delight.
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