Winning is addicting, and the Golden State Warriors were high on it, at least until yesterday. Climbing from 11th to 6th, their playoff hopes are burning bright. Ever since Jimmy Butler arrived in February, they’ve looked unstoppable—only two losses in the last ten games. Dub Nation believes it—the Jimmy Butler Effect is real. But Monday’s loss to Denver was a harsh reminder—beneath the wins, an old wound still lingers. And Jimmy? He finds no pleasure in this.

1,103 days. That’s how long it’s been since the Warriors last beat Denver in the regular season. At home? Even longer. The names from that win—Mychal Mulder, Nico Mannion, Alen Smailagic—feel like ghosts from another era. But the Warriors had their best shot on Monday. Mike Malone rested three of Denver’s top five, setting up the perfect trap. And the Warriors? They walked right into it.

In all honesty, the Nuggets were dominant from the first minute despite not having Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic on the team. And them sitting higher up in the stand, justified again. However, Stephen Curry (20 points, 4 rebs, and 7 assists) and Co. tried to keep the hopes alive. Mr. Playoffs was the top scorer for the Dubs on Monday, chipping 23 pts, 8 rebs, and 6 assists in 33 minutes of gameplay. But 20 stingy turnovers? Oh, boy! What an eyesore!

“It hurts me, I ain’t going to even lie to you,” Butler told the media after the loss at Chase Center on Monday. “I hate turning the ball over. I hate it when we turn the ball over. We just got to be better at that. If we get shots on goal, I think we’re a very hard team to beat. You ain’t going to beat too many people in this league with 20 turnovers.” 

Turnovers killed the Dubs on their home turf—20 giveaways and 24 free points for Denver. The Warriors needed every possession, but they wasted too many. Disastrous from deep (8-of-33, 24.2%) and brutal at the line (15-of-27, 55.6%), they couldn’t afford mistakes. Yet, somehow, they kept making them. With two and a half minutes remaining in the game and the Warriors trailing by eight, Draymond Green’s 60-feet pass fell into the hands of the Nuggets. Two possessions after this, lagging behind six points, Curry’s underhand lob pass to Jonathan Kuminga traveled the wrong way that the Nuggets eventually converted to a basket, almost concluding the game.

Therefore, Jimmy Butler‘s message to the locker room is simple. “We cannot have so many turnovers. We’re unbeatable without those flaws,” (something along this line). And guess the worst part.

Even Curry was also could not avoid that. He had a season-high seven turnovers in his 35.44 minutes of play. “Whenever we have the amount of turnovers we did,” he said, “and not even the amount, but the type – that can’t happen. Obviously, that starts with me.” The Warriors took care of the basketball well in their first 12 games with Butler playing, but in their last five games, they committed an eye-popping 101 turnovers that cost them 112 points.

Head Coach Steve Kerr was on the same page with Butler and Curry. “It’s hard to win an NBA game when you throw the ball to the other team 10 times,” Kerr said. “That’s what we were facing tonight.” Well, Kerr never minced words while criticizing it in the past. So, this time, Butler’s bold words for the team could save him from Kerr’s anger that even Stephen Curry failed to escape in November 2024. Back then, turnovers were an issue the Dubs were dealing with, facing the consequences of those slips, to be precise. And even now, the trouble persists. You could say that some things never change. Concerning enough?

Warriors look up to Steph, But Jimmy Butler is right there to defend him

When you make mistakes, you own them. At least follow this simple path around Steve Kerr, and he’ll save you. Earlier in November 2024, the head coach yelled at Steph Curry despite the Warriors winning against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden. Notably, Curr’s turnover troubles had been a trouble for the team and could’ve cost them a win. Thus it came as no surprise that the 59YO legend felt his blood boiling.

Kerr didn’t hold back at the post-game presser. “The beauty with Steph is he lets me yell at him, which sets the tone for the rest of the team,” he said. A five-point swing, a tough moment—Curry took it. No ego, no excuses. Just accountability. And that’s why he’s the Warriors’ true leader. After Coach Kerr’s jab things changed for the good and the end was a sweet one, where the Warriors won the game. Thus the ‘Proud Daddy of the Boston Celtics’ replied to the media: “I didn’t have another turnover after that.”

As you can see, owning the mistakes is important. Understanding the loophole is important. But most importantly, being the leader and exposing the flaws for the team’s benefit is crucial. This has been Curry and Draymond Green’s responsibility for years. But now, with Jimmy Butler on the roster, the team divides and picks duties with ease. Notably, Butler is already standing by Steph.

Kerr revealed that the team might consider resting Steph in their next game against the Bucks, and Bultler was right there defending Steph. “I’m not going to say he’s wearing down, but it’s OK to be tired. That’s on myself, and that’s on us as a unit to pick up the slack for him. As [much as] everybody wants to think he’s superhuman, he is not. He is our leader and we must protect him at all times. I will tell you that. That’s on myself, for sure, and everybody else to make sure we’re doing what we’re supposed to be doing and give my man a break,” he said.

Jimmy Butler’s message isn’t just about fixing turnovers—it’s about setting a standard. Accountability built the Warriors’ dynasty, and now, he’s embracing that legacy. With Curry and Green leading the charge, Butler steps in, sharing the weight. If the Dubs clean up their mistakes, the playoffs aren’t just a dream—they’re inevitable. And as for Kerr’s wrath? Looks like, Butler knows the way out.