Coming back from an ACL injury is an arduous process for any athlete. The journey back requires a lot of patience, following every steps, as boring as it can be, and not skipping any, as tempting as that can be. For months and months, the rehab solely consists of off-court work: managing the pain and the swelling, having to use crutches for the first few weeks after the surgery, improving walking, starting to rebuild strength, and so on. That's a long, tedious process.
So when a 37-year-old player in his 16th season in the league has to endure that type of burden, outside skepticism is inevitable. Jimmy Butler, meanwhile, believes he's going to shock a lot of people.
"I think it's going to be real eye-popping for everybody how I'm still going to be nice," the Warriors forward said in his media day press conference. "Probably nicer, honestly."
What would it mean for Butler to come back "even nicer"? Before he went down last season, he averaged 20 points per game on 51.9% shooting and 7.6 free throws per game. And Butler isn't planning on changing his style of play. Going to the line at a high rate and running into people are what got him where he is, so he's not changing anything. He jokingly added that he might shoot 0.5 more threes per game.
The 37-year-old still faces a long road back from injury
When it comes to those horrible knee injuries, the mental aspect bears as much importance as the physical one. Butler made sure to let reporters know that he could already dunk, but being able to trust his knee again in game situations and play without the fear of re-injuring it is a big deal.
If anyone can handle this grueling process, though, it's Jimmy Butler. The six-time All-Star overflows with confidence and knows that his work ethic will eventually get him to the finish line. He mentioned all the hard work he's put in this summer and how meticulously he's treated every step of the process. He's travelled all over the world — in Europe or in South America — and the "numbers" regarding his rehab are staggering and off the charts, as he put it.
It's been almost eight months since he underwent surgery on his right ACL after he suffered the injury against his former team, the Miami Heat, on January 19. Both he and Moses Moody, who suffered a ruptured patelar tendon in his left knee on March 23, have started to go through light on-court drills such as shooting, dribbling, or running.
But Butler wants to be on the court for real. He's wanted that for months. A target date hasn't been lined up yet, and he still has plenty of boxes to check off before he can play in an NBA game again. In the meantime, he'll serve as a positive presence.
"Probably just being very vocal and just being around the guys," he said when asked what kind of role he'll be able to fill both in training camp in Hawaii and during the first half of the season. "Honestly, I think it's more about the smiling. Even when it's not going the way that we would want it to go, it's still okay to have fun and smile."
When healthy, Butler is a game-changer for the Warriors
One thing is certain: Dub Nation will have a lot of fun and be all smiles when he finally returns to action, because he's been a difference-maker since arriving from Miami in February of last year.
When he's on the floor, the Warriors have posted a 118.9 offensive rating and 110.6 defensive rating. When he's off, the offensive number falls to 114.6, and the defensive one climbs to 116.6. In other words, when Butler played, the Warriors outscored their opponents by 8.3 points per 100 possessions. When he was either on the bench or in street clothes, the team got outscored by 1.9 points per 100 possessions.
Record-wise, the numbers are even more striking. In his time with Golden State, the Warriors have gone 46-22 (67.6% winning rate) when Butler appeared on the court compared to just 14-31 (31.1%) when he did not. When Butler has shared the court with his Batman, Steph Curry, the Warriors have won exactly 70% of their games, going 42-18 when the two superstars are healthy at the same time. The Warriors will have to stay afloat while their ailing star works his way back. If they do, watch out.
Throughout his press conference, Butler ensured that everybody understood there isn't an ounce of doubt in his mind that he'll be a better all-around player post-injury. Despite the outside chatter regarding his age, Butler said he stopped listening to other people's opinions when he was about 27. A decade later, he knows his worth and doesn't need to prove anybody wrong anymore. He just needs to be himself again. The Warriors would welcome that.
"I know what I'm capable of as a basketball player, as a human being, as a dad, as a Robin, as a teammate, name it. I'll continue to be the best version of myself."
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