Since acquiring star forward Jimmy Butler at the trade deadline, the Golden State Warriors have posted a 12-2 record and are rising out of the mediocrity that had previously defined much of their season.
Now sitting as the sixth-seed in the Western Conference, Butler has brought both his trademark defensive intensity and offensive explosiveness to the Warriors, opening up the team's offense through his ability to drive to the rim and draw contact.
Through his 13 games with Golden State, Butler is averaging 17.6 points, 5.7 rebounds and 5.7 assists in 31.8 minutes. While some have doubted the 35-year-old's commitment level and maturity throughout his career, it has become clear that his heart is with the Warriors this season and that he will be an x-factor for a potential playoff run.
Jimmy Butler draws comparison to Warriors legend Andre Iguodala
On the ALL NBA Podcast, Marc Campbell of Low Man Help remarked upon the similarity of Butler and Iguodala's impact upon the Warriors, saying, "they were missing this little element to their formula that unlocks everything... if Andre [Iguodala] is the original, then Jimmy [Butler] is the remix."
Iguodala, who won four championships with Golden State and won Finals MVP in 2015, is an honorable comparison for Butler. Across seven seasons with the Warriors, Iguodala averaged 8.8 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.5 assists.
Throughout his career, he provided exceptional defense and consistent offense, showing an ability to switch consistently onto every player on the court and routinely limit their effectiveness. Iguodala meshed well with Warriors star Stephen Curry because of his ability to both cover for him on defense, and respond to his impact on offense, cutting to the rim and providing passing lanes when Curry drew the defense toward himself.
In many ways, Butler provides these same factors to this Warriors team, helping to make Curry more comfortable and return to some of the strategies and movements that have found great success in the past.
However, he also provides an additional strength under the hoop and at the rim that Iguodala did not possess, especially as he got older. In fact, Butler has taken 34.3% of his shots this season at the rim, posting an efficient field-goal percentage of 73.4% at that range.
Butler is so often able to seal his defender, even if that player is much larger than him, in order to receive a pass from the ball-handler and toss up a lay-up, often drawing contact and getting to the free-throw line in the process. Since Butler arrived in Golden State, the team is averaging 25.2 free-throw attempts per game -- the third-most in the NBA during that span.
If Butler is able to provide the same juice and intensity that Iguodala gave to previous Warriors teams, his extra offensive punch could help bring the team across the finish line yet again.