San Francisco – was not part of the original plan, but the moment was impeccable.
There was Andre Iguodala, receiving the adulation of coaches, teammates and relatives at night that was his shirt No. 9 Golden State Warriors Raised to the beams In the Chase Center, moments after the new member of the organization, Jimmy Butler, made his debut at home in a dominant victory of 126-102 over the Dallas Mavericks.
Iguodala, 2015 NBA MVP of the finals and the first of the unforgettable dynasty of the Warriors to receive the best honor of the franchise. Butler, the man commissioned to give the remaining core a last chance in Glory.
The similarities between the two players are obviously obvious: the ideal size of basketball, chiseled construction, the powerful athletics, and intriguingly subtle, the intellectual coefficient of elite basketball, the domain of the foundations, the charismatic leadership.
The Warriors coach Steve Kerr, often referred to Iguodala as “the babysitter”, someone who could control the glorious madness brought to the court by Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson. Even with Thompson now playing for Dallas, Butler is already demonstrating to be the same type of counterweight.
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“That is what Jimmy has really added to our team is this sense of calm,” Kerr said. “Really, frankly, it complements the chaos of Steph and Dray. And I think that is part of our force as a team, it is the chaos that Steph and Dray create. But if it is not balanced, then it can be counterproductive. And so Jimmy is balancing that “.
On Sunday, the mere presence of Butler took out an energy and optimism of the multitude of Chase Center that has been depressingly absent since the first weeks of the season when Golden State jumped at a beginning of 12-3. Since then, it has been a stable noise that Butler has only helped them recover. The Warriors have 5-1 since their arrival as they advance towards their goal of reaching seed number 6 of the West Conference, which would avoid the game tournament.
And it was not only the crowd the pump (or script, in the language of the bay area). Curry hit PJ Washington with the “Night of the Night” at the end of the third quarter, a probable retaliation by Washington invoking Curry’s firm after the Mavericks beat the Warriors two weeks before.
Green was dancing at the bank. Butler gave Kyrie Irving a “too small” after hitting a reference bridge over him. Butler and Brandin Podziemski laughed like young children on the way to the bank after Podziemski hit a corner 3 of a butler assistance. Fans gave a serenade to their heroes with the iconic “Waaaaaarriiioooooors!” Song in multiple points during the victory.
The arrogance of the Warriors has returned, and everything is thanks to the arrival of Butler.
Butler has fit perfectly with the warriors
One would think that the contrasting styles that Kerr mentioned, the deliberate butler and the chaotic pairing of Curry-Verde would require a significant adjustment period. But that has not been the case, and Kerr proves Butler’s disinterest in his perfect transition.
“It really is not a great adjustment due to the way Jimmy plays,” Kerr said. “The ball moves when it is outside, and we have always prospered in the ball movement. So actually fits directly into the way we already play.”
Butler, who had 18 points and five assists on Sunday, has also given Kerr already the Warriors something they have desperately needed during the last two seasons, an offensive engine when Curry is in the bank. Virtually all alignments that have presented Butler without Curry have been completely dominant, and the fact that Green and Butler are usually on the court at the same time means that other teams have an incredibly difficult time scoring against them. In 150 minutes so far, alignments with Butler and Green are allowing only 108 points per 100 possessions, the equivalent of the second best defense in the NBA.
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“I think Jimmy definitely brings a defensive mentality, goes and gets many robberies,” said the Warriors striker, Moses Moody, after the game. “It’s intense, it’s watching the ball, it’s in help [position]as well as Draymond doing what he does. That allows everyone to follow their example and pay attention to the ball. “
Iguodala, who brought a similar type of detailed defensive mentality, arrived in 2013 at a time when Golden State’s young stars needed guidance and direction. Butler arrived when the same boys, now wise veterans, yearned for a shake of hope and a not so gentle push back to the mountain.
“When they are on the floor, good things usually happen,” Curry said about the similarities between Iguodala and Butler. “You love players like that who understand the game, they have a high intellectual coefficient, they raise everyone around them. That is something difficult to do and it is a merchandise in the league.”
Curry and Green needed a third star to give them a realistic chance in their fifth championship like a tandem. Instead of a Thompson replacement, they received a coal copy of Iguodala that the organization has energized for at least other months, which is more than they could have said before trade.
“There is a sense of urgency just because you know that you will not be able to do it at this level forever. We talk about that pre-commission [deadline]That’s why Jimmy is here, “said Curry.” We all love expectations, we all love playing for something significant, and the only energy you are presenting is to try to do it. “
