Warriors Searching for Answers as Jimmy Butler’s Role Remains in Flux
PORTLAND - After another frustrating night for the Golden State Warriors, head coach Steve Kerr didn’t dance around the issue. Following a 136-131 loss to the Trail Blazers, Kerr stepped up and took the heat. The Warriors are now 13-14, and while there’s still time to right the ship, the inconsistencies are starting to pile up - and Kerr knows it.
“I’m not doing a good enough job helping us connect the game,” Kerr admitted postgame, a phrase that speaks volumes about the Warriors’ disjointed rhythm through 27 games. No matter how many lineup combinations he’s tried, nothing seems to stick for long. And while the blame game isn’t Kerr’s style, he did offer a glimpse into one key storyline that’s becoming harder to ignore: Jimmy Butler’s fit within the Warriors’ system.
Butler, the six-time All-Star, had a quiet night by the box score: just 3-of-11 from the field. But Kerr wasn’t about to point fingers.
“I’ve got to find a way to get him more into the groove of the game,” Kerr said, before pausing. “Eleven shots.”
That pause said a lot. Because while Butler’s shot volume has been lower than expected - 11 or fewer attempts in 13 of his 23 games this season - his impact often goes beyond the scoring column.
Against Portland, he went 10-for-11 from the free-throw line, pulled down seven boards, handed out four assists, and came up with three steals in 35 minutes. That’s vintage Butler - contributing across the board even when the jumper isn’t falling.
Still, the Warriors need more. And Kerr knows it.
“I don’t really consider Jimmy’s game to be dependent on how many shots he gets,” Kerr said. “But we do need his scoring.
We do need his playmaking. I thought we did a better job last year putting him in positions to attack and create for others.
We need to get back to that - especially when Steph’s off the floor.”
That’s the crux of it. When Stephen Curry isn’t on the court, Golden State has struggled to establish any kind of offensive identity. And Butler, for all his versatility, hasn’t consistently stepped into that primary creator role.
Draymond Green echoed that sentiment and took some of the responsibility himself.
“I’ve got to do a better job of recognizing when he hasn’t touched the ball in a while,” Green said. “That’s on me.
I’ve always been the guy to keep the ball moving and make sure it’s getting to the right spots. I didn’t do that tonight.”
Green, who had eight turnovers in the loss, didn’t shy away from the fact that Butler also needs to assert himself more. It’s a two-way street.
“I also need Jimmy to be more aggressive and demonstrative - go take the ball, come get it, tell us where he wants it,” Green said. “And he will.
He does. We’re still putting it all together.
It’s Game 27. Nobody’s panicking.”
But the urgency is real. The Warriors are hovering around .500, and while Curry continues to deliver MVP-level performances, the supporting cast hasn’t found a consistent rhythm. That includes Butler, who’s still adjusting to a system that demands both structure and improvisation - a balance that takes time to master.
Curry, for his part, wasn’t about to let the narrative shift solely to Butler.
“It’s not just a Jimmy thing,” Curry said. “Some nights he’s the scorer, some nights he’s the facilitator.
What makes him special is that he can impact the game without putting up big numbers. He finds ways to get others involved.
We just need to stay organized around him.”
Curry also pointed to the defense as the real issue on Sunday. “We scored 131 points.
That should be enough to win,” he said. And he’s not wrong - the Warriors' inability to get stops, especially in transition and on dribble penetration, has been a recurring issue.
But the focus on Butler isn’t going away anytime soon. He’s a high-profile player making $54 million this season, and with that comes expectations - not just to contribute, but to lead.
Whether it’s scoring, facilitating, or setting the tone defensively, the Warriors need Butler to be more than just solid. They need him to be the guy when Curry sits.
One variable that can’t be ignored is Butler’s health. His left knee has been a lingering concern for years, and it’s already caused him to miss several games this season.
When he’s right physically, Butler has shown he can still play at an elite level. The question is whether he can do it consistently enough to help stabilize a Warriors team still searching for its identity.
Kerr believes the solution starts with being more intentional in how they use Butler - especially in half-court sets.
“In that Minnesota game, he went four straight possessions without touching the ball when Steph was out,” Kerr said. “That’s on me.
That’s on our players too. I can’t call a play every time, nor do I want to.
So, we have to find a way - as a staff, as a team - to make sure we’re playing through Jimmy and getting the game under control.”
And that’s what it comes down to: control. The Warriors have been caught in too many track meets this season, and it’s not a style that suits them - especially not against younger, more athletic teams like Portland.
When the game speeds up and gets chaotic, Golden State loses its grip. Butler is one of the few players on the roster capable of slowing things down, dictating pace, and bending the game to his will.
He’s done it before. The Warriors need him to do it again.
The question now is whether Butler can - and will - take that next step before Golden State’s season slips further into the middle-of-the-pack muddle.