There is no doubt that when the Golden State Warriors acquired former Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler in the midseason trade, it completely altered the team’s trajectory back toward the playoffs, and not away from them. The Warriors were falling in the standings before the move, but Butler’s addition picked them back up, injecting new life into the Steph Curry–Draymond Green-led squad. Unfortunately, the new life didn’t last past the second round of the playoffs, as the Minnesota Timberwolves were too much for the Curry-less Warriors to handle. On the bright side, the Warriors Big 3 remains intact for a championship window head coach Steve Kerr believes is still open.
Warriors Big 3 Gives Steve Kerr Confidence in Championship Window
Steve Kerr claims Golden State Warriors with Big 3 trio are ‘going for it the next two years’
Kerr knows a thing or two about winning titles. He’s done it as a player and coach. Kerr’s head coaching career has almost been one extended championship window, save for the 2019-20 season when Curry missed nearly the entire season with an injury, and the team went 15-50 (the COVID year). Aside from that flush-down-the-toilet type of campaign, the Warriors have remained contenders. That said, the last two seasons have raised questions about whether Golden State’s window is closing. After not qualifying for the postseason last year, failing to maintain their fast start to this past season, and looking like another failed season in the making, the Warriors window might have been closing. That was until the trade for Butler.
Despite the ages of Curry, Green, and Butler, they still form a formidable Big 3, and Butler’s presence on the Warriors may have extended, if not re-opened, their window. Kerr believes the window remains open and said so as much recently on the Tom Tolbert Show.
“I think the Jimmy [Butler] trade was a clear indication that we’re going forward the next couple of years. We instantly became one of the best teams in the league when he got here. We’re going for it these next two years,” Kerr said. “We needed someone like Jimmy. Well, we got him now. He’s still really good. I think we’re set up to go for it the next two years. You don’t give up,”
Warriors give Butler best chance at a ring
There are many elements that an NBA offseason offers that reap benefits for team chemistry. It’s especially true if a big trade was made the season before, right in the middle, with very little time for the players to adapt to each other. This was the case for Butler teaming up with Curry and Green. The latter two have played together for over 10 years and know how to win on the biggest stage. While Butler’s fit went easier than most expected, he was still attempting to fit into a different system and playing style with Curry and under Kerr.
This could be the most important offseason of Butler’s NBA journey. A full summer of reps, practice, and exposure to the Warriors brand of basketball could be exactly what Butler needs, and vice versa. This summer is crucially essential, furthermore, to Butler’s chase for a championship ring. In Golden State, it may very well be his best, but last chance at winning that coveted title. If the window remains open, as Kerr believes it is, Butler has two years to get it done.
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