The Golden State Warriors are going to have to add some serious offensive talent to help Stephen Curry next year. Jimmy Butler is hurt, and even when he’s not, he’s not the best regular-season scorer. It’s hard to win when one of your highest-paid players isn’t always the most reliable offensive player. Just look at what happened to De’Aaron Fox and the San Antonio Spurs.
Throughout the postseason, the Spurs didn’t have the most consistent offense. Fox was hurt, but when he was on the court, he wasn’t good enough on offense. It hurt the Spurs, and they ended up losing to the New York Knicks in five games in the NBA Finals.
Fox is the highest-paid player in San Antonio. He wasn’t good enough on offense. Curry needs help on offense, but his second in command is not only injured but also not the most consistent offensive talent in the regular season. That’s a dangerous spot to be in.
De'Aaron Fox's rough offense showed Stephen Curry what he could deal with as Jimmy Butler recovers
Obviously, Butler is a good offensive player. He can put up points, and in the playoffs, he’s a demon. Historically, he’s one of the most impressive playoff risers in recent memory.
But next season, he’s going to be coming off an ACL tear. And he already doesn’t have the best track record of stepping up in the regular season. He usually turns it up in the postseason, but the Warriors need regular-season help.
They have to get to the playoffs before they start worrying about the playoffs. And if they can’t put up enough points in the regular season, they may not make it there.
This is less an indictment of Butler and more a reflection of the injury situation and the money problem.
Butler makes a lot of money. He’ll be making $54.1 million next season. He’s the second-highest-paid player on the Warriors, behind only Curry. It’s hard to win when you’re not getting production from one of your highest-paid players.
In Fox’s case, that lack of production was due to his lack of offensive abilities in the playoffs. He’s not a bad offensive player, but he was rough when it mattered most.
In the case of Butler, it’s a mix of injury, recovery, and his history of regular-season scoring. The Warriors may not get a ton of offensive production from their second-highest-paid player.
That’s bad for the Warriors. That’s bad for Curry.
And that’s what happened to the Spurs in the Finals.
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