He’s back! Heading into tonight’s Rockets clash, there was major uncertainty around Jimmy Butler’s availability. Reason? The pelvis and deep muscle contusion he suffered in Game 2. However, Steve Kerr’s pregame comments gave Dub Nation hope: “I think there’s a much more reasonable chance for him to play than the other night.” Soon after, Jimmy’s status was upgraded from questionable to available, confirming his return. But is he truly at 100% – or have the Warriors taken a massive risk by rushing his comeback?

With Butler ready to go, Kerr immediately put him back in the starting lineup. But concerns started brewing merely minutes after tip-off. During one of the plays early in the game, Jimmy pump-faked Alperen Sengun and attempted a tough fadeaway shot falling away from the basket. He missed. As the forward ran back on defense, TNT’s on-air announcer Reggie Miller noticed a worrying detail. “Oh, I don’t like how Jimmy is running here. He’s still kind of grimacing on his way back down the floor there,” he said on Live TV.

Yes, it looked like the injury was still bothering Jimmy Butler as he seemed a bit slow on his step. That’s concerning news for the Warriors as it could affect his playing time. Earlier tonight, Kerr confirmed that Butler was not a minute restriction. However, his workload would depend on his pain tolerance and how well he can move on the floor. Seeing him struggle early could lead to reduced minutes.

Moreover, it raises questions about Jimmy’s health going forward. Warriors might have put the 35-year-old at risk by bringing him back for tonight’s game, when it looked like he could have used another night’s rest to heal his body. Even if Jimmy manages to play through the pain tonight, staying healthy throughout the playoffs could be a massive challenge for him amid the lingering injury. So, Kerr needs to be extremely cautious while managing his minutes.

Should Steve Kerr rely on other Warriors stars amid Jimmy Butler’s Game 4 struggles?

With Jimmy’s concerning visual early in the night, playing him for 42 minutes like he did in Game 1 might not be a wise choice. In that case, Kerr’s only option might be to rely on the supporting cast. Even in the last game, Buddy Hield and Gary Payton II stepped up to the challenge in Jimmy’s absence, combining for 33 points. And Kerr had high praise for them after the big win.

“Buddy flipped it. Gary Payton flipped it. Both those guys. But everybody contributed you know Quinten had 12 rebounds, we had Moses come in and make a huge 3 in the second half,” the head coach remarked. Of course, another player to look out for will be Jonathan Kuminga.

After Jimmy went down in Game 2, Kuminga became his natural replacement due to their similar playing style. He had 11 points in 26 minutes. However, JK couldn’t capitalize on the opportunity when he got his first start of these playoffs in the next game. Crumbling under the bright lights, he scored only 7 points and was benched during crunch time. But Kerr could turn to him once again tonight if Jimmy is unable to play through the pain.

Hopefully, it will not come to that, and Jimmy will avoid re-aggravating his injury. Do you think the Warriors made the right call by bringing Butler back for Game 4?