What we learned as Butler’s impact continues in Warriors’ win originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
The Warriors’ Jimmy Butler era rolls with a second consecutive win, beating the Milwaukee Bucks 125-111 on Monday night at Fiserv Forum.
Butler scored 20 points, again making the free-throw line his second home. He was 12 of 15 from the line, making him 23 of 28 on free throws in his first two games as a Warrior. Butler also had nine rebounds, six assists and four steals.
Not bad for the Robin to the Warriors’ Batman. That, of course, would be Steph Curry, who scored 38 points and made six 3-pointers.
Curry now has dropped 30 or more points in four consecutive games for the first time since December 2021. He also has made at least six threes in four consecutive games, a feat he last did one year ago in February of 2024.
Defensively, the Warriors took advantage of the Bucks’ mistakes by scoring 31 points off 20 turnovers — including a season-high 16 steals. Offensively, they took care of the ball by turning it over only nine times, which resulted in just two points for the Bucks.
Here are three takeaways from the Warriors improving to one game over .500 at 27-26 on the 2024-25 NBA season.
Encore
If Butler could put up 25 points and four assists in his first game as a Warriors without any practice or shootaround, what would he do next? A little bit of everything.
Steve Kerr upon Butler’s arrival praised his newest star’s basketball IQ and passing ability, comparing him to Andre Iguodala. Two instances in the first half stood out, too. Beating the Bucks’ zone defense, Butler’s patience paid off when he hit Draymond Green with perfect bounce passes, leading to a reverse layup and a dunk.
In the first half alone, Butler’s box score read eight points, six rebounds, four assists and two steals.
Butler again beat the Bucks’ zone defense in the third quarter, this time hitting Quinten Post with a bounce pass. His menacing defense continued, and Butler became more and more aggressive offensively, finding his spots and getting to the free-throw line.
Butler Beneficiary
Adding Butler of course was going to be a huge weight off Curry’s shoulders. Bringing him aboard was another passing option for Green, and their defensive intensity was something everyone was excited to see. There’s another player Kerr said fit seamlessly alongside Butler after his debut.
Brandin Podziemski was a plus-26 with 16 points, five rebounds and seven assists Saturday night. Once again, Podziemski stuffed the stat sheet two nights later.
Though he missed all four of his 3-point attempts and went 3 of 11 overall, Podziemski was a team-high plus-18. He was part of the Warriors’ three best lineups in terms of plus/minus, doing all the little things that contribute to winning. Podziemski totaled nine points, nine rebounds, three assists, two steals and took multiple charges.
Maybe Podziemski was seeking revenge as a Patrick Mahomes super fan. Maybe he wanted to show out in front of his hometown Milwaukee fans. Let’s stick with the theory that another dog to feed off is exactly what Podziemski needed.
Starting Small
Down by 21 points less than three minutes into the third quarter Saturday in Chicago, the game completely shifted in the Warriors’ favor once Kerr went small. Out went Post and in came Moses Moody. Instead of waiting, Kerr began the game playing small-ball against a Bucks team without Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Moody started at the 4 and Green was at the 5, giving Golden State a lineup without a traditional center. That group played nine-plus minutes together and was a minus-2. The Bucks outscored them 27-25.
There’s no denying what opposing teams are seeing on the Post scouting report: Attack the rookie when he’s on defense. Offenses are going right at Post, and with a lot of success. But there’s a reason Kerr keeps playing him. His offense gives the Warriors such an added wrinkle.
Post scored 13 points, including 11 in the fourth quarter, and made three 3-pointers. Kerr now has options up and down his roster. He can go small and utilize Moody as a 6-foot-5 power forward, and also unleash the 7-foot Post as a wrinkle as well. When he goes small, and against which matchups, will be something to monitor as the season goes on.
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