Injured Golden State Warriors star Jimmy Butler III has been traveling with his teammates as they try to keep their season alive.
Ahead of Friday’s final play-in clash against the Phoenix Suns, the six-time All-Star issued a warning to Devin Booker and Co., even though he can’t affect the game’s outcome and will be cheering for the Warriors from the bench.
“Phoenix, I’ve arrived,” Butler said after touching down in Arizona.
“Yeah, come to get this dub. Well not me. Steph and company.”
Butler was full of praise for his teammates after their 126-121 play-in win over the LA Clippers on Wednesday.
“Dray, Steph, Gui, Big Al. Wow,” Butler said postgame in the tunnel. “Will Richard didn’t do anything but he was over there with me, cheering his heart out. Wow.”
Gui Santos: Warriors’ X-Factor?
Butler’s praise of Gui Santos, who finished with 20 points, six rebounds and five assists in the win against the Clippers, is the least bit surprising. The Warriors’ 2022 second-round pick, Santos, has seemingly blossomed into an NBA-caliber rotational player after several years of development in the G League.
ESPN analyst Tim Legler recently suggested that Santos has the tools to blossom into a long-term starter for the Warriors, given his age and athleticism.
“He can handle it, pass, shoot. He’s athletic,” Legler said on his “ALL NBA Podcast” after the Warriors beat the Clippers, via X account Chef.
“He defends with a conscience. He’s always smiling, like he’s just one of those guys you kind of pull for, and it’s gone from that to like ‘Okay, this is a really cool story. They got guys out and now he’s got a chance and he has jumped on it.’
“I want to talk about Gui Santos because we’ve had the Warriors a lot this year and most of those games didn’t have Jimmy Butler or Steph Curry. That’s a tough thing to watch offensively and Porzingis wasn’t there yet. So
Warriors vs. Suns Play-In
While the Warriors beat the Suns 3-1 in the regular-season series, Devin Booker and Co. enter as -3.5 favorites at home.
Dillon Brooks, who has a long history with Draymond Green, revealed on Thursday that he was rooting for the Warriors to defeat the Clippers in the first play-in game, just so he could have the chance to end their season.
“I think it matters to some people like myself. I would like to see the Warriors,” Brooks said when asked if he had a preference between facing the Clippers and Warriors.
“Steph and Draymond,” Brooks said when asked why he wanted to face the Warriors. “And Steve Kerr.”
“One of the best players to ever do it,” Brooks said about Curry, via AZ Central.
“It’s who you want to go against in an elimination game. He’s proven it over the years. They’ve been battle-tested in every way possible. Good matchup for us.”
“The fans are going to be ready,” Brooks said. “They’ve been waiting a couple of years for games like this. I know we’re going to be ready to play.”
The winner of the Warriors vs. Suns play-in game will face the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round of the playoffs. The Thunder are overwhelming favorites to repeat as NBA champions.
Jimmy Butler Sends Strong Message to Suns Ahead of Warriors Play-In