The Jimmy Butler-Golden State Warriors partnership is officially underway, and it’s looked promising early on. The former Miami Heat star has helped lead the Warriors to a 2-0 start to open up this next chapter of his career.
In the first two wins, Butler has played a major part in the team’s success. He has averaged 22.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and 5.0 assists on efficient shooting during that span.
He has brought another offensive creator option to help take the load off Stephen Curry. But Butler’s versatility is a lot more than just scoring, and it has shown thus far in his Golden State tenure.
His ability to get to the free throw line and slow the game down is as elite as ever. And he has averaged a dominating 14.0 free throw attempts throughout those two games. Butler’s two-way IQ has brought an early impact to the revamped Warriors lineup. However, the only question remains the same as it’s been for years surrounding the aging star— can he stay consistent?
Jimmy Butler struggled to stay engaged in the Miami Heat’s offense throughout his six years with the team.
Butler’s usage rate during this 2024-25 season has jumped from nearly 20% to over 26% for his first two games as a Warrior. The disgruntled forward tried to put blame on coach Erik Spoelstra for his role in the offense. Although, the only person he can blame for that is himself.
As Butler suddenly turned against the entire Heat organization this season, he was often seen ball watching and standing in the corner on offense prior to finally being traded. Sure, his trade request out of South Beach played a big factor in his quiet quitting on the court.
Nonetheless, Butler's involvement in Miami’s offense was an issue for years leading up to the drama that unfolded this year.
The best version of the Heat always came with him heavily engaged as a scorer and playmaker. That’s why when he would elevate his game come playoff time, they would suddenly become contenders. The issue was always getting that version of Butler on a consistent basis.
Perhaps a motivated Butler, fresh off a new lucrative contract extension, will do so on the Warriors. Even so, the Heat couldn’t get that consistent effort after signing his two max deals earlier in his South Beach career.
With just about six months away from him turning 36 years old, asking for consistent offensive production could pose an even more daunting task as Butler ages.