the Golden State Warriors Heating Up
The Golden State Warriors have been one of the best teams in the league since trading for Jimmy Butler back in February. They have won nine of their last eleven games and are looking to stay hot. Golden State currently has the 4th easiest remaining schedule among teams in the Western Conference. They are in a battle to avoid the play-in tournament and secure a spot in the playoffs. They currently sit at the sixth seed in the Western conference and are still rising.
The sixth seed and the tenth seed in the Western Conference are separated by 2.5 games. One week can make a difference in being the sixth seed or the tenth seed. The five teams in these spots are the Warriors, Timberwolves, Clippers, Kings, and Mavericks. The battle to get into the playoffs is insane, and it is only getting better as the season comes to an end.
The Warriors acquisition of Jimmy Butler has somewhat gone under the radar. Jimmy Butler is known for how well he plays in the playoffs. When Jimmy Butler was with the Miami Heat, he took them to the NBA Finals twice. Both as major underdogs. In 2020, inside the Bubble, the Heat were the fifth seed and lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in the finals. In 2023, he took the Heat to the NBA finals but as the eighth seed. They became the second team to make the NBA Finals as the number eight seed in NBA history.
Jimmy Butler will be the difference-maker in the playoffs. He has the ability to score inside and outside the paint, but what he does well, is get to the free throw line. He has led the Golden State Warriors in free throw attempts since joining the team. His arrival has elevated Stephen Curry’s game as well. He is scoring almost eight more points per game than he did before Jimmy Butler arrived. Before Butler was traded, Curry was scoring 22.7 points per game. After the trade, he has been scoring 30.4 points per game. With Curry and Butler on the court together, this team can go all the way if they can get the best matchups.
The Golden State Warriors are looking to make another run to win their seventh championship in franchise history. This will be Stephen Curry’s fifth ring with the franchise. Conversations about the greatest point guard of all time have heated up since Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors won the title in 2022. Debates on whether he or Magic Johnson is the greatest point guard of all time. But if the Warriors can win the title this season, in the back part of Steph Curry’s career, the debate when Curry and Magic might be just as hot as Michael Jordan and Lebron James.
Geoffrey Huggins
DiSportsPhotoAgency
Writer
