Even the most optimistic fans couldn't have envisioned just how much of an impact Jimmy Butler would have immedietly on the Golden State Warriors, with the fortunes of the franchise shifting dramtically since the arrival of the 6x All-Star.
The Warriors entered Butler's debut game with a 25-26 record, but have since gone 18-5 to rise up the Western Conference standings and even generate some conversation as an outside championship threat.
Can Jimmy Butler flick a swith come playoff time?
Butler's impact on the Warriors cannot be denied given the team's record, yet his own form is still a topic of discussion as the end of the regular season draws near. The veteran forward is averaging 17.1 points per game with Golden State -- the lowest scoring output of his career since his third season.
Butler's 44.5% shooting from the floor and paltry 22.2% from 3-point range are also among the worst of his career, leading to conjecture on whether he can simply flick a switch come playoff time as he has done so much in the past.
There's been a thought for weeks that Butler's aggression and subsequent scoring would simply lift when it matters most, and that he would eventually have a true breakout game for the Warriors when it was really needed.
However, that breakout game hasn't necessarily come just yet. Butler's best scoring performance remains just 26 points, which is becoming a concern for some who believe this might be just who he is at this point of his career.
"I don't see how he becomes Playoff Jimmy," Matt Steinmetz said on 95.7 The Game's Steiny and Guru on Monday. "I'm not saying he can't because he's done it in the past, but I feel like this is who he is -- and he's damn good. But he's not the kind of player who takes over games."
From what we've seen from Butler in the postseason over the past five years, the idea that he couldn't take over a playoff game has been previously unthinkable. But it also goes to show that the current scoring output is a slight concern for some, or perhaps more so the inability so far to have a huge 30+ point game in a Golden State jersey.
Given the Warriors are already in a playoff mode of sorts as they jostle for seeding in the West, it would be nice to see Butler make a big scoring statement over the last eight games to reassure fans of his capability.