The Next Big Thing: Jimmy Butler Touts Warriors Rising Star
Had Luka Doncic not been traded to the Los Angeles Lakers, Jimmy Butler’s trade to the Golden State Warriors would have stood as the single-most impactful move this season.
Jimmy Butler has completely transformed the mood around the Golden State Warriors, bringing his trademark toughness and skill to an ailing team.
Once a perennial .500 team, the Warriors are genuinely threatening to be a slippery slope for the heavy favourites for the championship.
Butler’s impact has been huge, but there’s been one Warrior youngster whose impact has impressed Butler. He’s given him the ultimate endorsement.
Jimmy Butler raves about Warriors youngster
One only needs to go back in history to realise how difficult it is to please Jimmy Butler, a notoriously high-demanding teammate who has no patience for shortcuts.
Be it his scorched earth exit from the Timberwolves, or his similar charades while forcing a trade from the Heat, Butler is an “all-in or opt out” kind of player.
Therefore, it was startling to see him rave about his young teammate, no asterisk attached, in the wake of Warriors’ statement win over the New York Knicks by a score of 97-94.
Usual suspect Steph Curry top-scored and Gui Santos received a rare start, but it was the second-highest scorer who caught the eye of Butler.
He raved about Moses Moody, who scored 18 points, in a statement of confidence that will do wonders for the players’ confidence.
Butler said: ” [Moses Moody] plays the right way, very smart, puts the ball on the floor and guards at an elite level. He does whatever you ask him to do, never asks any questions about it. He’s going to be huge for the organization. He’s going to make his mark in this league, that’s for sure.”
Draymond Green praises ‘mature’ Moses Moody
Moody has had somewhat of a breakthrough year this season, finally earning Steve Kerr’s trust enough to be given regular minutes, something the Warriors fans have been demanding for years.
This is Moody’s fourth season with the Warriors and he’s played 239 games but he’s started only 41.
However, this season alone he has started 18 games, showing that good things come to those who wait and put in the work without complaining.
That’s a trait Draymond Green raved about, saying he recently heard something from Moody which was the “most mature thing” he’s ever heard.
Green said: “I heard him say one of the most mature things. He said, ‘Man I could have developed in college, I chose to develop in the NBA. This is my path.’
“You can’t get that from a lot of young guys these days. Everybody thinks it’s just supposed to be their turn when they arrive. That’s just not how it works.
“You gotta earn your keep and he stayed the course regardless of the noise around him.”
Moody’s rise as a genuine 3-&-D option is massive for the Warriors who need all the defensive help and spacing they can get when they field Green and Butler together.
Moody’s breakthrough couldn’t have been timed better. He deserves it.
