If Jimmy Butler’s debut with the Golden State Warriors is a sign of things to come, this team could be pretty fun again.
The former Miami Heat star posted 25 points on 7-of-12 shooting, four assists and two rebounds in his first game since joining the Warriors at the trade deadline. That performance was a significant part of a 24-point comeback for Golden State, who defeated the Chicago Bulls 132-111 on Saturday.
While Butler joked during his introduction that his plan was to “Pass the ball to Steph and get out the way,” he offered a lot more than that alongside Stephen Curry.
Curry was the other leader of the Warriors win, recording 34 points on 10-of-19 shooting (8-of-16 from 3-point range), six assists and five rebounds.
Butler joined the Warriors earlier this week on a complicated four-team trade that cost the team Andrew Wiggins, Dennis Schröder, Kyle Anderson, Lindy Waters III and a protected first-round pick. The six-time All-Star left the Heat on somewhat hostile terms, as he received three separate suspensions for a variety of offenses that boiled down to him no longer wanting to play for the team.
The Warriors represented a fresh start for Butler, especially after they gave him a two-year, $121 million extension that will align his tenure with the team alongside Curry’s current deal. Golden State now has the oldest core in the league with the the 35-year-old Butler, 36-year-old Curry and 34-year-old Draymond Green, but that isn’t as much as a problem when you’re trying to win now.
The win improved the Warriors record to 26-26, currently good for 10th place and the final play-in spot in the Western Conference. They’ll face a stiffer test on Monday, when they face the Milwaukee Bucks on the road.
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