{"id":488449,"date":"2026-02-24T22:49:13","date_gmt":"2026-02-24T22:49:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/488449\/"},"modified":"2026-02-24T22:49:13","modified_gmt":"2026-02-24T22:49:13","slug":"the-jimmy-butler-and-steph-curry-pairing-came-too-late","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/488449\/","title":{"rendered":"The Jimmy Butler and Steph Curry Pairing Came Too Late"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cWelcome to the wild, wild west where the dogs don\u2019t sleep, and the sun don\u2019t set.\u201d Those were the opening lyrics to the song Jimmy Butler<\/a> posted on social media moments after he was traded to Golden State last season. The Warriors had been on a downward spiral. So, the front office was searching for a star to maximize the final years of Curry\u2019s championship quest.<\/p>\n

The link-up between Stephen Curry<\/a> and Butler reignited their fire for basketball again.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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Butler maneuvered his way out of Miami and inked<\/a> the contract extension he was looking for with the Warriors. Curry was re-energized and primed to fight harder than ever, knowing that his championship window had been reopened. Butler rekindled his joy once he joined the Warriors, simultaneously sparking Curry with that same joy along the way.<\/p>\n

Butler exceeded all expectations upon his arrival. The team couldn\u2019t have imagined a better fit so fast, particularly with Curry. The two attributed the seamless pairing to their polar-opposite games being complementary.<\/p>\n

The instant chemistry between the two is what makes Butler\u2019s ACL tear<\/a> such a tough pill to swallow. In the aftermath of Butler\u2019s season-ending injury, one thing is obvious: Curry and Butler should have been paired together sooner.<\/p>\n

On-Court Production<\/p>\n

Butler helped balance out Curry\u2019s dynamic offensive play-style by offering a slower, calmer presence. In games in which Curry and Butler have both played, the Warriors have a record of\u00a042-18.<\/a><\/p>\n

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Butler, a career 33%<\/a> shooter from three, found a stroke this season, shooting 37.6% in 38 games. He held the highest plus-minus on the team, demonstrating his tremendous impact. He also averaged 20 points on just under 52% from the field, and was second in team free-throw percentage at 86.4%. Additionally, he was 14th amongst all players in the biggest on\/off-court net rating swing.<\/p>\n

But what made him so essential to the Warriors wasn\u2019t his efficiency; it was his exemplary fit alongside Curry. Normally, it takes players time to get acclimated after arriving at a new team, especially one with a unique system like the Warriors. Butler confessed<\/a> to needing more time to get into game shape and learn the team\u2019s plays following his debut with the Warriors last season. But he slotted alongside Curry with ease almost immediately.\u00a0<\/p>\n

His IQ and basketball versatility allowed him to thrive as a help-side defender, scorer, isolation shot maker, and ball-handler. He could read when to set and slip screens and move off the ball, skills which take teammates months to master.<\/p>\n

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He allowed Curry to relax, as he held down the fort while running the bench unit. As a former Clutch Player of the Year candidate<\/a>, Butler continued his strong play down the stretch of close games. He ranked ninth in the NBA in clutch offensive rating this season \u2013 the only Warrior to crack the top 10.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The Warriors Miss Jimmy<\/p>\n

Adjusting to life without Butler remains a work in progress. Coach Steve Kerr<\/a> specifically notes the extra burden placed on Curry without his right-hand man.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt definitely puts a lot more stress on Steph\u2019s shoulders not having Jimmy next to him to create shots, to take over the offense when needed, so we have to account for that,\u201d Kerr stated<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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De\u2019Anthony Melton understands that no singular player can replace Butler, as his impact went beyond any stat sheet.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen somebody like Jimmy goes down, it\u2019s tough to pick up what he was doing. He did so much on the court, not just putting up points, rebounds, or assists, but just his leadership. He\u2019s a two-way player that gets it done,\u201d he said<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Curry Copes<\/p>\n

Butler\u2019s ACL tear was a stab in the heart to a team that was trending upwards. The Warriors were 12-4 in the month before Butler\u2019s injury, and had a true chance at a guaranteed playoff spot.<\/p>\n

The stunning Butler news is something Curry still hasn\u2019t been able to grapple with.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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\u201cI don\u2019t think I\u2019ve stopped thinking about it since he got hurt, to be honest,\u201d Curry admitted<\/a>.<\/p>\n

He knows this season was possibly their last shot at a title. The promising end-of-season run the Warriors went on last year offered hope that they could reach the mountaintop. Hope that is now on indefinite pause.<\/p>\n

When asked if Curry was content with the current state of the Warriors, he offered up a blunt response.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cNo,\u201d he refuted<\/a>. \u201cI\u2019d rather have Jimmy Butler<\/a> playing basketball. But it\u2019s our hurdle to overcome as a team. Three weeks ago, we were headed in a different direction. The record scratched and stopped, and now you\u2019re trying to figure out how to get it going again.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Curry and Butler\u2019s Relationship<\/p>\n

Curry knew what Butler was capable of, even before playing a single game together.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen the stakes get higher, he rises to the occasion,\u201d Curry said<\/a> after the Butler trade last season. \u201cHe\u2019s a dog. He\u2019s a winner.\u201d<\/p>\n

Despite being teammates for just one year, the two grew close. Both shared a mutual respect for the other on and off the court. Butler commended<\/a> the way Curry carried himself away from basketball, and Curry appreciated his co-star\u2019s unwavering support.<\/p>\n

Just days before undergoing surgery two weeks ago, Butler made an appearance at the premiere of Curry\u2019s new movie, GOAT. Instead of resting up, Butler was there on crutches with a torn ACL.<\/p>\n

Partners in Crime<\/p>\n

Curry\u2019s alma mater, the Davidson Wildcats, held a ceremony<\/a> in December to unveil an Interstate sign in Curry\u2019s name. And Butler was right there in attendance to cheer him on and watch the ceremony. He even stayed for the end of the game, which went into double overtime.<\/p>\n

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On the court, Butler graciously accepted his role as second fiddle in the Curry-led orchestra. Curry reciprocated by making sure Butler always got his flowers.<\/p>\n

After Charles Barkley<\/a> undermined Butler\u2019s talent following the Warriors\u2019 playoff victory against the Rockets, Curry stood up for his partner in crime.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s not as great as you, but he\u2019s a really nice second closer to have on the team, correct?\u201d Barkley asked<\/a> postgame.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cJimmy\u2019s nice. Don\u2019t get that twisted,\u201d Curry clapped back.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The two fully trusted and believed in each other, no matter what. That\u2019s also why Curry picked Butler (out of anyone in NBA history) as the player he would choose to make a game-winning shot.<\/p>\n

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\u00a0<\/p>\n

Needed More Time<\/p>\n

Thankfully, this may not officially be the end of the Butler and Curry era just yet. Butler penned a heartfelt letter to Warrior\u2019s season ticket holders, seemingly confirming that he will remain a member of the team. In the letter, Butler also re-expressed his love for playing next to Curry and affirmed his unwavering belief that he will make a comeback.<\/p>\n

For two stars who elevate to the top of their games as the lights get brighter, one playoff series together will never be enough. In a torturous world of what-ifs, Butler and Curry could have wreaked havoc against the league\u2019s best for years.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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But the NBA is filled with lingering hypotheticals that go unanswered; that\u2019s what makes the wild wild west so unpredictable. For now, Butler refuses to go down without a fight, as he powers through a treacherous ACL recovery process. The sun hasn\u2019t officially set on their time as teammates, but there\u2019s no guarantee they will pick up right where they left off.<\/p>\n

Regardless of what their future holds, they should have been teammates a long time ago. There\u2019s no telling what they could have accomplished.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The post The Jimmy Butler and Steph Curry Pairing Came Too Late<\/a> appeared first on The Lead<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\u201cWelcome to the wild, wild west where the dogs don\u2019t sleep, and the sun don\u2019t set.\u201d Those were…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":488450,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[64],"tags":[118215,47943,16733,8958,60836,36057,56232,17721,90363,82594,2821,62394,355,33195,160822,19560,25457,99,2244,48486,45195],"class_list":{"0":"post-488449","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-nba","8":"tag-aj-green","9":"tag-amen-thompson","10":"tag-chet-holmgren","11":"tag-davidson-wildcats","12":"tag-davion-mitchell","13":"tag-devin-booker","14":"tag-donte-divincenzo","15":"tag-jimmy-butler","16":"tag-kelly-oubre-jr","17":"tag-malik-monk","18":"tag-miami","19":"tag-miles-mcbride","20":"tag-nba","21":"tag-neemias-queta","22":"tag-nique-clifford","23":"tag-og-anunoby","24":"tag-pascal-siakam","25":"tag-sports","26":"tag-stephen-curry","27":"tag-the-warriors","28":"tag-yves-missi"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/488449","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=488449"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/488449\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/488450"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=488449"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=488449"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=488449"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}