Following a shocking 114-105 loss to the Denver Nuggets on Monday night, many of the Golden State Warriors' previous problems resurfaced.
With Brandin Podziemski absent for the fifth-straight game, Steph Curry was forced to play while nursing a back injury, resulting in some shoddy and uncharacteristic ball-handling from the star point guard. Golden State allowed an absurd 20 turnovers in the game.
The Warriors offense also struggled to find momentum through most of the night, returning to their stagnant strategy of low-quality 3-point shots and shooting only 24.2% from beyond the arc.
This problem, when Curry is not shooting up to his standard, is exacerbated by other players on the roster. While Jimmy Butler has transformed Golden State in his short tenure with the team, he has sagged considerably in the 3-point shooting category, contributing to the team's potential to have sub-par games such as this one.
If Butler is able to return his 3-point shooting to normal levels by the playoffs, it could be a major X-factor as Golden State attempt to make a run for another title.
Butler's 3-point shooting could be an X-Factor for the Warriors
In all fairness, the crux of Butler's game is not in his 3-point shot. A career 32.8% shooter from beyond the arc, Butler's primary capabilities on offense are present in his ability to drive to the rim and draw contact, creating spacing for the offense as a whole and his own opportunities at the free-throw line.
This facet of his game has been seen in abundance so far with Golden State, as Butler has renovated the team's offense and completely transformed their intensity and offensive dynamism.
Yet through 16 games with the Warriors, Butler has shot a horrid 22.6% from beyond the arc and taken only 1.9 3-point attempts per game. Golden State already has their fair share of streaky shooters, including Buddy Hield, which makes the impact of this slump all the more potent.
However, Butler is known for profoundly elevating his game in the playoffs. Across his playoff career, he has shot a more respectable 34.7% on 3.5 attempts per game. While Butler will not become the team's lights-out shooter come playoff time, his historical postseason dominance could translate to an uptick in his production from beyond the arc.
This would be a massive development for Golden State, representing another shooter they can rely upon which would make their offense even more dangerous.