Warning Issued: Miami Heat Legend Sends Ominous Message to Golden State Warriors About Jimmy Butler
There is no question that the Golden State Warriors have been a much better team since acquiring Jimmy Butler from the Miami Heat. On current form, they are one of the best teams in the league.
Of course, the play-offs are a completely different thing altogether and it will be interesting to see how the Warriors do, if they reach the post-season.
They have two of the best playoff performers in NBA in Stephen Curry and Butler. But at the same time, one cannot overlook the holes in the current Warriors roster, which might trouble them if they are handed a bad stylistic matchup.
Udonis Haslem believes that the Warriors must avoid the play-in tournament and has also named the kind of players that Butler struggles against. According to Andy Lindquist of NBC Sports Bay Area, the Heat legend said on ESPN’s NBA Today: “That’s a tough one because you do not want to be in a play-in.
“[Monday] night [against the Denver Nuggets] was going to be a tough game for Jimmy [Butler] regardless. When you talk about Aaron Gordon and Russell Westbrook, you’re talking about guys that have size, speed and athleticism. Those are the kinds of guys Jimmy struggles with. Smaller guards he can overpower, bigger guys he can usually get around. Those guys that have that balance of both, those teams are ones Jimmy struggles with. Guys with switchable matchups that can guard him on the post and the perimeter.”
Of course, Haslem will be very aware of Butler’s game, having seen him up close for so many years in Miami, first as a teammate and then as an executive.
The Warriors know what it takes to make it to the mountaintop though, having done so four times already with Curry and Draymond Green.
On the other hand, Butler carried the Heat to two NBA Finals during his time in Miami but was not able to get over the finish line and get a ring.
So, overall, the Warriors do have a lot of guys on their roster who know how to navigate the playoffs and what to expect from it. That experience might be a major advantage for them if up against teams which have a better record but do not have that post-season knowhow.
