No Jimmy Butler, no problem! When his status got downgraded from questionable to out due to the pelvis injury, not many fancied the Warriors’ chances of winning last night’s Game 3. But thanks to Stephen Curry’s dominant 36-point performance and his supporting cast stepping up, the Warriors successfully protected home court against the Rockets. However, they might not be so lucky on Monday. That’s why they need Jimmy back as soon as possible.

Of course, the person who might be able to guide him and potentially speed up the process is Steph. Last month, the sharpshooter suffered a similar injury when he landed on his tailbone during the Raptors clash. He was diagnosed with a pelvic contusion and was forced to sit out the next two games. Jimmy’s diagnosis is also pelvic and deep glute muscle contusion. Despite dealing with the same issue, Steph doesn’t think his experience will be very helpful for Jimmy.

When asked if they have had a discussion regarding the similarity of the injury and the potential return timeline, Curry said, “Yes and no. Like they’re all very unique because the angle you land, the severity of the impact, we have kind of different body types too.” Yes, Butler has a bulkier 6’7 frame while Curry is a more agile 6’2 guard. So, the way the injury impacted them might be different. Steph continued, “So, there’s a similarity but there’s also each one is such a unique case that it’s hard for any of us to really compare, other than for him to get ready.”

Although Steph couldn’t speed up Jimmy’s recovery, he did have some advice for when Butler eventually returns. “I’m pretty sure he might need it when he comes back, but get ready for that pad that I wore back in ’21 and earlier this year. Anything to get you back on the court sooner, even if it’s a little uncomfortable,” Curry said.

Turns out, Steph used a protective pad to shield his injured area from potential re-aggravation — not just last month, but also back in 2021 after he hurt his tailbone falling down the stairs during a game against the Rockets. His message to Butler was clear: take precautions, even if it feels awkward at first. But what if Jimmy isn’t ready to return by Monday?

Stephen Curry highlights Warriors’ “next man up” mentality as Jimmy Butler’s Game 4 status remains uncertain

Well, the Bay Area team is optimistic about Jimmy making a comeback in Game 4 following the rest he has gotten to heal his injury. However, Steve Kerr was not too sure about his status during last night’s presser. “He’s literally day-to-day. So, you know we have tomorrow off. It’ll be helpful for him to have another day and then it’s a night game, so he gets a few extra hours. So, we’ll see. I have no idea right now if he’s going to play.” He remarked.

Even though it seems unlikely, there is a slight chance Jimmy might remain sidelined. But Steph is not worried, as he continues to have complete faith in himself and his teammates to get the job done in either case, “We got one task. I don’t know how many, hopefully, he’s back next game or if he’s not, we can still play at a high level. We can win a tough physical playoff game. Think we all know, we’re trying to win 14 more of these. We need Jimmy to do that. But if there is a situation where somebody’s not available, next man up mentality. It’s gotta be a belief and a confidence.”

Even last night, Buddy Hield and Gary Payton II stepped up in Jimmy’s absence, combining for 33 points. Hopefully, it will not come to that on Monday and the All-Star forward will make his comeback for the crucial encounter.