A lack of 3-point shooting crushed the Golden State Warriors playoff hopes in the second-round against the Minnesota Timberwolves, having been outscored by 60 from beyond the arc in the final four games following Stephen Curry's hamstring injury.
Jimmy Butler was criticized for his performances in Curry's absence, but in reality the job was made incredibly difficult on the 6x All-Star given the lack of perimeter threats sharing the floor with him.
The Warriors need to focus on adding shooting this offseason
Speaking recently on The TK Show with Tim Kawakami, Steve Kerr spoke of how difficult it was for Butler to be guarded by a notable defender in Jaden McDaniels, while having to deal with Rudy Gobert who was hanging around the paint and not respecting Golden State's perimeter shooters.
"There wasn't much space for Jimmy to attack, and we didn't have enough spacing on the floor to give him the room and the freedom and the flow to be at his best," Kerr said.
It's something the Warriors desperately need to address this offseason. Sure, having Curry back on the floor will make a world of difference, but Golden State need to rely less on the pure gravity of the 2x MVP.
Butler is someone that wants to make the right play every time, perhaps to a fault and to the frustration of Warrior fans. But if that's the way the veteran forward wants to play, the franchise needs to grant him his wish of having legitimate shooters that he can kick out to.
It's why Golden State have been linked to an aging Brook Lopez or a former trade target in Nikola Vucevic, both of who would give them a veteran stretch five beyond relying on young center Quinten Post.
Cam Johnson also remains a potential trade target as a noted sharpshooter, particularly if the Brooklyn Nets show interest in Jonathan Kuminga and the Warriors can execute some sort of sign-and-trade. De'Anthony Melton is another who Golden State could look to reunite with this offseason, having shot over 37% from deep in his six games with the franchise before a season-ending knee injury.
Butler was brought in mid-season to a roster that needed him, but wasn't overly designed for him. Now as the bonafide second star alongside Curry, the Warriors will have an entire offseason to explore trade and free agency scenarios that helps the roster make much more sense in fitting Butler's game.