Jimmy Butler's devastating torn ACL is still having a major impact on the Golden State Warriors, including playing a potential role on the future of head coach Steve Kerr as he considers his future with the franchise.
Butler's injury in mid-January completely ruined the Warriors' campaign, and the likely impact on next season could be enough to force Kerr's exit if he and the franchise don't believe a path back to genuine contention is realistically possible.
Steve Kerr's Jimmy Butler realization could force Warriors exit
Speaking recently on The TK show with former colleague Tim Kawakami, ESPN's Anthony Slater reiterated the impact of the Butler injury (and that of Moses Moody) and how it could influence the decision-making of Kerr and others going forward.
"The one thing I will say is I know that the two injuries to the wings impacted, you know, the view of the franchise long term and the realistic nature of competing next year. Like that the Jimmy Butler injury is like, it truly was huge," Slater said.
The numbers after Butler's injury are undeniable, though weren't aided by franchise superstar Stephen Curry missing 27 games due to his own knee injury. From the moment Butler went down on January 19 until the end of the season, Golden State ranked 22nd in offense, 21st in defense and had the ninth-worst record in the league -- numbers that look even worse when you consider the amount of teams that were truly tanking.
Beyond just the pure numbers though, Butler's injury meant the Warriors lost all inner hope of being a contender this season. They were on the rise and had won 12 of their previous 16 before the injury, offering optimism of a deep playoff run if things continued to click. Then, in one awkward landing against his former team in the Miami Heat, everything changed.
Steve Kerr assessing whether Warriors can bounce back immedietly
Kerr now has to assess whether the Butler injury has also put a nail in the coffin of Golden State's ability to seriously compete next season, or if there's still reason to hope that the dynasty hasn't faded completely.
As Slater also pointed out, Kerr's return could signal the Warriors' belief that they can make a major move this offseason that helps stem the impact of the Butler loss, then ultimately help them become a true contender when the 6x All-Star returns from injury.
There's now a growing expectation that Kerr will return to the franchise on a new deal, but any continued trepidation about that move may be caused by Butler's untimely injury.
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