The Golden State Warriors will need Jimmy Butler back on the court for any chance of success this season. Butler is recovering from a torn ACL that saw him missing the second half of this season. Golden State will not have Butler back to start the season, and it remains unclear when exactly he will return. However, it appears they are treating Butler’s return in the same context of trading for an NBA star during the season.
Brett Siegel of Clutch Points revealed the plans from Golden State involving Butler:
“If Butler can get back on the floor before the trade deadline, which appears very likely at the moment, this organization will be able to figure out its plan heading into the trade madness and what its playoff outlook is. At the same time, when Butler returns is still a question mark.
Butler has not had any setbacks or limitations to this point in his recovery process. There have been minor hints that he is ahead of schedule and could return to the court sooner than many would’ve initially expected.”
The overall goal is to have Butler back before the trade deadline, and that appears to be more than feasible. Other reports have indicated Christmas day being a dream scenario, but that will require more positive variables. Stephen Curry badly needs Butler back to help the lackluster roster overachieve.
Warriors May Be Putting Unfair Pressure On Jimmy Butler
This offseason has shown that Mike Dunleavy is playing things conservatively when it comes to adding talent. LeBron James is the only major name that Golden State went after in free agency or the trade market.
The Philadelphia 76ers getting James led to the Warriors staying silent until adding secondary players Brandon Williams and Georges Niang over the past few days. Even with those new players, Golden State has done very little to improve the roster after missing the playoffs last season.
Butler is getting treated like the savior since the team doesn’t plan to make any more big moves. The returns of Butler and fellow injured teammate Moses Moody could help the team, but there’s no way to view them as a playoff threat unless they can make a trade during the season.
Jimmy Butler’s Age Could Be Scary Variable
Stars like Kevin Durant and Jayson Tatum rehabbing in best-case scenarios from similar injuries have led to fans and pundits expecting every star to do the same. However, Butler is going to turn 37 years old in a few weeks.
A player coming back from such a severe injury this late in their career is no guarantee. Golden State is mentally preparing to get back Butler at the same level where he was playing during the Warriors time after getting traded by the Miami Heat.
However, the return could see Butler declining or needing a lot more time to get back to form. Golden State can’t safely bank on Butler playing All-Star caliber basketball. Other names like rookie Yaxel Lendeborg and returning center Kristaps Porzingis will need to overachieve for the Warriors to have a good season.
New Jimmy Butler Injury Update Confirms Warriors Big Plan