The Warriors’ season has been marred by collapses while being in commanding positions. The latest example of it came on Wednesday against the Utah Jazz, when they surrendered an 11-point lead with three minutes remaining to lose 131-128. This followed similar defeats against the Kings and the Rockets, putting the team’s ability to close out games. This is in stark contrast to their dynasty days when they would stage remarkable comebacks in the fourth quarter. It is to halt this very problem of late defeats, the Golden State has brought in Jimmy Butler, at least that is what Steve Kerr is hoping for.

Kerr’s team was at the receiving end of another defeat as they lost 120-112 to their biggest rivals in the West, the Lakers. The game saw Steph Curry doing much of the heavy lifting as he scored 37 points. This game and the recent run of form has suggested that the Warriors desperately needed someone to take some of the offensive load off Curry and Butler, who was introduced before the game will have a lot of responsibility on his shoulders.

After 51 games, Golden State is sitting at 25-26, which pretty much sums up their season. Inconsistent performances, lack of shooters, and overdependence on Curry and Draymond Green have hampered the Warriors. But now there might be some hope for Dub Nation with Butler on the roster.

Talking about the multi-team deal that sent Andrew Wiggins to Miami and brought Butler to the Bay Area, Kerr sounded confident about the move. “I think that’s a big reason for the trade is to, you know, help Steph, help alleviate some of that pressure,” Kerr said during the postgame press conference. “Jimmy’s a guy who gets to the line quite a bit, doesn’t make a lot of mistakes, so the possession tends to be very stable when he has the ball in his hands. And I imagine that Jimmy is going to be really important for us, both, you know, with Steph next to him and when Steph’s off the floor.”

One thing for sure is that for the first time since Kevin Durant, the Warriors will have at least one superstar on the floor when Curry is not present.

Earlier, it seemed like the Warriors had backed off from trading for Jimmy Butler. Stephen Curry made it clear they weren’t focused on a win-now approach, wanting to hold on to their young assets to build for the future. Kerr, too, was on the same page. But then things took a turn in Golden State. GM Mike Dunleavy couldn’t just sit back and watch the team get crushed, so he brought the former Heat star into the squad and it seems the expectations are clear.

The HC also pointed out that Butler’s arrival will be a big boost to the team’s “energy” which they have been missing for a while. He’s excited, we’re excited to have him, you know, and he’s excited to be here, and that’s the whole point of making a big trade is, you know, you need an energy shift, and it was obvious that this team needed one,” Kerr said in the presser.

But perhaps the biggest advantage of having a player like Butler on your team is handling pressure situations and closing out games. Referencing the Jazz game, Kerr noted, “Ten-point lead with three minutes left, I’m confident we close out that game with Jimmy.”

The defeat against Jazz was the newest addition in a series of embarrassing late-game collapses. On January 22, they lost to the Sacramento Kings, despite leading by 17 points at halftime. Their highest lead at one stage was 18 points, yet they ended with a 123-117 loss.

In December, the Warriors were up by six points with around 80 seconds left against the Rockets but faltered toward the end to lose 90-91. These are the situations Kerr hopes Butler will help them see them out and come clutch as they look to make the postseason. If they can make the playoffs, they will have Playoff Jimmy to take them forward.

“The playoffs are different,” Kerr said. “It’s almost a different sport in some ways. So we’re getting a guy [in Butler] who’s a proven playoff performer…And Jimmy… we’ve seen what he can do [in the playoffs]. You don’t have a nickname like that for nothing.”

Butler played a key role in Miami’s run to the NBA Finals in 2020 and 2023 and this season he’s averaging 17.0 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game.

A six-time NBA All-Star, Butler is identified as a pressure player, who delivers in key moments as evidenced by his playoff performances. In 2023, he dropped a franchise playoff record 56 points to lead the 8-seed Miami Heat to a Game 4 win over the Milwaukee Bucks, the team with the best record in the regular season.

Butler will remain with the Warriors through the 2025 and 2026 seasons after signing an extension. He will earn $112 million over the next two years. While Kerr’s expectations and those of the Dub Nation will put Butler under pressure, he is embracing the challenge.

Butler ready to bring “hell” to rivals

Butler had requested a trade from Miami after feeling that he was not offered the contract extension he deserved. Now that, he has gotten his wish with the Warriors, he is looking forward to getting started. Butler was on the court during the Warriors-Lakers game and told Fox Sports, “People like that, man, that’s who you want to go to war with,” as Draymond Green stopped by to give him a hug.

“We’re going to bring hell to a lot of people,” he added, clarifying that he intends to win championships in Golden State. Miami suspended Butler three times this season, twice for conduct detrimental to the team, while his last suspension started on January 27, after he left practice session early.

But now all that is in the past for Butler as he prepares for a championship assault with Curry and Green. Kerr disclosed that Jimmy could be suiting up for his new franchise on Saturday against the Bulls, bringing his energy and the Warriors fans will hope they get to see some early promise.

Do you think Jimmy can live up to Kerr’s expectations? Let us know in the comments!