Jimmy Butler is still grinding through the last stretch of his recovery, and the Warriors are waiting on one of the biggest pieces of their season plan to come back online.
Butler tore his right ACL in January, and since then he’s been buried in rehab with the goal of returning in the coming months. He said the hardest part has been being away from the competition itself.
“A lot. I miss being around the guys, in the trenches with them, fighting.
You gotta think, I’ve been doing that more than half of my life now, like competing at a high level,” said Butler on SiriusXM radio. “And I haven’t had that in a while, and I just can’t wait to get back to it.
I’m excited. I’ve been working my tail off to get back right and be better than I was, so I think I’ll be ready to go.”
Last season, Butler still looked like a major force when he was on the floor. He averaged 20.0 points, 5.6 rebounds, 4.9 assists, 1.4 steals, and 0.2 blocks per game while shooting 51.9% from the field. Even at 36, he gave Golden State another scoring option next to Stephen Curry, and the hope is that he can help recreate that balance once he’s cleared.
When asked about championship expectations, Butler didn’t overcomplicate it.
“Of course. But I mean, if you were to ask anybody that question, would they say, ‘No, we’re not gonna win any games.
No, we’re not gonna make the playoffs. No, we’re not gonna win a championship’?
So it’s kind of like a broken record whenever you ask anybody, ‘Yo, what’s your goal for this year?’ Like, just take one player and then just copy and paste it on every player because they’re all gonna say they’re winning a championship and to do this and to do that,” said Butler.
“I think we’re very capable of it, and that’s the goal.”
Golden State is still viewed as an underdog in the West, with the rest of the roster beyond the starting group lacking the depth needed to measure up with teams like the Thunder and Spurs. Meanwhile, the 76ers have now added LeBron James to an already loaded roster, another development that only adds to the challenge around the league.
But Butler brushed that aside.
“I don’t make nothing out of nothing,” Butler added. “I mind my business.
I play in San Francisco for the Golden State Warriors. So what they’re doing over there is what they’re doing over there.
Good for them. I hope they’re happy.
Hope they can win. I hope they can compete.
But I think we’re gonna give them hell whenever we play against them.”
The fit between Butler and the Warriors has been strong from the start, and he quickly earned trust inside the building. That matters, because it’s part of why the team has held onto him, and it could matter even more once he’s finally back on the court.
Still, there are obvious questions hanging over Golden State. The team believes in its talent, but recent setbacks have made the picture murkier. Until Butler actually gets back in action, the uncertainty around his future in San Francisco isn’t going anywhere.
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