3 reasons why Timberwolves should fear Jimmy Butler in Steph Curry's absence

Jimmy Butler took charge of the Golden State Warriors as they beat the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals. The Warriors lost Steph Curry to a hamstring injury after 13 minutes on the floor. Curry seemed to be in a rhythm, recording 13 points with seven minutes to go in the second quarter.

Unfortunately, he exited the game with a hamstring sprain and could be on the sidelines for the entire series. The 37-year-old will undergo an MRI on Wednesday to determine the extent of his injury. As Curry recovers, the Warriors will look toward Jimmy Butler to lead them past the Minnesota Timberwolves.

At first glance, Curry’s injury seems fortunate for the Timberwolves, but Butler is no pushover and is likely to cause problems throughout the rest of this series. He played 41 minutes in Game 1, recording 20 points, 11 rebounds, and eight assists, leading the team to a 99-88 win.

Known for stepping it up in the playoffs, here are three reasons why the Timberwolves should fear Jimmy Butler in Steph Curry's absence.

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Three reasons why the Timberwolves should fear Jimmy Butler in Steph Curry's absence

1) Jimmy Butler is a bonafide superstar

The stats don’t always show it, but Butler is a genuine NBA superstar. He won’t give Golden State 30+ a night, but he will use his high basketball IQ to repeatedly make the right plays and raise the team’s ceiling. Butler did the same thing in Miami when he led the Heat to NBA Finals in 2020 and in 2023.

While he can undoubtedly hurt Minnesota with the ball, much like his teammate Curry, Butler is also a threat even when not attacking the basket.

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2) Golden State will be more defensively tuned with Jimmy Butler leading the charge

With Curry in the lineup, the Warriors are often looked at as a team that excels on the offensive end. But it couldn’t be further from the truth, as Golden State boasts one of the best defenses in the league. With Steph out, the Dubs will need to expend more energy on defense to keep the Timberwolves in check.

It's a task that should fall to Jimmy Butler, who's widely regarded as one of the best two-way players in the league. With Butler leading, Golden State will likely tighten up on defense and look to drain Minnesota on that end of the floor. We’ve already seen an example of that in Game 1 as the Warriors held Anthony Edwards to 9-for-22 shooting and Julius Randle to 4-for-11.

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3) Warriors’ series against the Timberwolves is personal for Jimmy Butler

Another reason for the Timberwolves to be wary of Butler is that this series might be a bit personal for him. Butler was with the Timberwolves during the 2017-18 season. But disputes over team culture and contractual issues saw Butler request a trade early into the 2018-19 season.

He was traded after just 10 games and joined the Philadelphia 76ers. While Minnesota’s roster has changed quite a bit since Butler’s time with the organization, they boast the same front office that refused to pay Butler. As such, he could take this series personally and take things up a notch.