There has been a lot of talk about Golden State Warriors star Jimmy Butler in recent days, but owner Joe Lacob is having none of it according to a recent leaked email which revealed he does not hold the 6x All-Star responsible for the team's underwhelming start to the season.
In an unlikely and bizarre development, Lacob responded to a fan's email about their frustrations with the team , stating, "You can't be as frustrated as me. I am working on it. It's complicated. Style of play. Coaches desires regarding players. League trends. Jimmy is not the problem."
Warriors owner doesn't blame Jimmy Butler for team's struggles
Some interpreted those words as a slight against head coach Steve Kerr. The two have certainly had contrasting opinions over the years when it's come to which players Lacob likes and wants to see more of, and which players Kerr thinks gives the team the best chance to win.
Kerr denied that there was any rift or tension between he and Lacob, but one cannot help but feel like things are trending in the wrong direction for the head coach who is in the final year of his contract. Perhaps the Warriors will decide to move on after this season if they cannot get things turned around after a middling 13-14 start to the season.
However, the fact that Lacob was willing to defend Butler is telling. Butler has come under fire because for his inability to shooting the ball more and subsequently deliver the scoring the team has needed in its last two losses. While that's not typically the way he plays the game as someone who wants to get his teammates involved, Golden State's desperation for offense may require Butler to step up and be more of a scorer.
Lacob's promise that he is, "working on it," suggests that a trade or some sort of move may be on the cards for the team. This time last year they made a move for Dennis Schroder to try and turn things around, but it didn't work at all and the German point guard ended up getting flipped in the Butler trade.
The biggest trade chip the Warriors have that they're seemingly likely to trade is Jonathan Kuminga, but he's not eligible to be dealt until January 15th which is problematic given it feels like the franchise needs a move almost immediately.
Maybe emails to Lacob end up spurring action somehow, but it's clear the Warriors have to do something otherwise they may be destined for more mediocrity which would be a shame given how great Stephen Curry continues to be.