Jimmy Butler's stunning Warriors impact and the numbers behind it

Ever since the Golden State Warriors acquired Jimmy Butler and completely reversed their fortunes from fading dynasty to revived contender, Warriors players have watched in awe at how the six-time All-Star has made an immediate impact.

RELATED: Draymond Green makes bold wish at his 35th birthday party

Golden State is an incredible 12-1 with Butler in the lineup. And with every victory that has lifted the Warriors out of Play-In Tournament purgatory to sixth place in the Western Conference, his new teammates have been asked to explain what the 35-year-old has brought to the team to completely change the trajectory of the season.

Butler recorded the team's first triple-double of the 2024-25 campaign with 15 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in Monday's 130-120 victory against the Portland Trail Blazers. Afterward, Buddy Hield provided a succinct assessment of Butler: "He's a connector on both ends."

Butler feels the love and appreciates his role as facilitator on offense and glue guy on defense.

"They're allowing me to be me," he told reporters. "They love me here. So I'm happy to be here."

A deep dive into the numbers before the February 6 trade and after the deal with the Miami Heat illustrates where Butler's presence has been felt the most.

Warriors before and after the Jimmy Butler trade

First of all, Golden State has been much more effiicent on offense and to a lesser extent on defense. Its offensive rating has climbed from 19th (111.8 points per 100 possessions) to fifth (120.7), and its defensive rating has improved from 10th (112.2) to third (108.9). As a result, the team's net rating has climbed from 16th (-0.4) to second (11.7).

The most noticeable difference has been at the free-throw line. Without a low-post scorer who applies pressure at the rim, the Warriors ranked 28th in free throw attempts (20.4) and last in the league in free throws made (14.7) and free-throw percentage (72.0).

With Butler — who is averaging 7.7 attempts per game and shooting 88.0% from the line with Golden State — the free-throw numbers have completely flipped. Since the trade, the Warriors rank fourth in attempts (25.2) and first in makes (21.5) and percentage (85.3).

Butler's "connector" label is most befitting with how he patiently finds open shots for teammates in Steve Kerr's offense. He's averaging 5.7 assists per game, over one assist more than his career average of 4.3, but his willingness to serve as the fulcrum for Golden State's attack when Steph Curry is on the bench has taken the team from ninth in assists (28.6 per game) to first (31.4).

Defensively, opponents are having a much tougher time, particularly with rebounding and taking care of the ball. The Warriors are surrendering fewer defensive rebounds, going from 27th (34.6) to fourth (30.6), and they're yielding fewer total rebounds, improving from 23rd (45.2) to third (41.6).

Also, without Butler, Golden State's opponents were committing 14.6 turnovers per game (16th). With Butler, they're averaging 18.1 turnovers — tops in the NBA.

How far can the Warriors go with Jimmy? Draymond Green has given his prediction multiple times already, including his 35th birthday wish of a fifth NBA championship in 11 years. And, as has been the case for this golden era of Golden State basketball, winning the Larry O'Brien Trophy is the only goal.

And, surely, there's more to come from Butler. After all, the Warriors have yet to see "Playoff Jimmy," Butler's postseason persona who dons a cape and carries a franchise to the NBA Finals all by himself.

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