Is Jimmy Butler going to be all right? The same player whose acquisition helped the Bay Area franchise go on a 23-7 run in the regular season is now in danger of missing future games after suffering a gruesome injury in Game 2 of the ongoing Warriors-Rockets series. Since the results of the MRI won’t be known for a while, all the Warriors could do was listen to Butler’s teammates for a positive update. Was it given to them? Unfortunately not.
In the aftermath of the Warriors’ 109-94 loss to the Rockets, Draymond Green participated in a presser. With Jimmy Butler’s injury on everyone’s mind, it didn’t take long for the power forward to be asked about the veteran’s health update. Green confirmed that he had talked to Butler. However, he revealed not believing what Butler had to say, stating “Jimmy’s only gonna tell you he feel good. Like, he will lie, of course. So, we’ll see. He’s giving me zero reasons to not believe anything he says. So, I do believe”.
Quinten Post did not have anything better to add. The 25-year-old Warriors rookie also revealed that he checked in with Butler after the game. Post didn’t highlight confidence in his response, as he stated “Yeah, I asked him how he was doing. He said he was fine. But we’ll see after….. we’ll see what the diagnosis says after tomorrow”. Yikes!
Jimmy Butler sustained the reported pelvic contusion during the 1st quarter of the recent Warriors-Rockets matchup. While going for a rebound, Rockets forward Amen Thompson undercut Butler. This caused the veteran to fall to the floor hard. The visual of the Golden State Warriors star lying on the basketball court, writhing in pain, did not paint a good picture.
After getting up, Butler exited the game and went to the locker room. He was soon ruled out of the remainder of the matchup, having recorded only 3 points, 2 rebounds, and 0 assists in 8 minutes of playtime. Tim Kawakami further revealed details from an anonymous NBA source, who stated that the Warriors are scheduled to stay over in Houston tonight, but Jimmy Butler will fly back to the Bay Area for the MRI.
Apr 23, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Jimmy Butler III (10) suffers an apparent injury during the first quarter during game two of the first round for the 2024 NBA Playoffs against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
According to reports, initial X-rays conducted at the Toyota Center show no major damage. Then again, things will be clearer with a proper MRI scan. This isn’t the first time a member of the Warriors squad has sustained pelvic contusions in the ongoing tournament. Stephen Curry missed 2 straight games back in March when he sustained the injury after landing hard on his tailbone during a game against the Toronto Raptors. Similarly, Jonathan Kuminga was ruled out for the remainder of the game against the Spurs with ankle soreness. His injury designation was later changed to a pelvic contusion, and he was declared out of the next game against the Memphis Grizzlies on April 1st.
These past instances show that Butler might not be gone for long. Then again, just how many games Butler goes on to miss depends on his injury. If it is a long period, then some major changes will have to be made to the starting lineup.
How can the Warriors proceed without Jimmy Butler?
According to RotoWire, Jonathan Kuminga, Gui Santos, and Gary Payton can see an increase in their on-court minutes in Jimmy Butler’s absence. Jonathan Kuminga had seen himself get sidelined ever since Jimmy Butler joined the Bay Area franchise back in February.
After all, as Steve Kerr highlighted earlier, “We found a really good formula when JK was injured and we got Jimmy. I think we went 18-2 or something right away. So we found lineup combinations that have clicked, and we’re winning, and we have to stick with that.” Kerr planned on following it forward, further revealing that “When you’re in a good groove, you just keep doing what you’re doing and then you adjust as you go”. Well, now is the time to adjust.
Apr 20, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Jimmy Butler III (10) walks on the court during the second quarter against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
Throughout 47 games in the 2024-25 regular season, Jonathan Kuminga averaged 15.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 2.2 assists. The points were on par with what Butler had also been averaging. As for Gui Santos, he averaged 4.1 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 1.4 assists over 56 games. This makes him a backup on whom one cannot rely too much. Gary Payton II would be a more reliable backup. After all, he averaged 6.5 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 1.3 assists throughout 62 games.
Do you believe that the Warriors can get through the playoff series against the Rockets without Butler? Let us know in the comments section below.
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