Jimmy Butler has been everything the Golden State Warriors could have hoped for and more since the team acquired him from the Miami Heat at the trade deadline. That success means owner Joe Lacob is taking something of a victory lap.
Lacob admitted that there were concerns about Butler’s fit with the Warriors prior to the February trade that sent the veteran to Golden State. After the Warriors’ Game 7 win over Houston on Sunday, Lacob said all those worries were gone now.
“Yeah, there were (concerns about Butler),” Lacob said, via Sam Amick of The Athletic. “But you do your analysis, you make your choices, and, yeah, it was a little bit of a risk. But we’ve got to take risks in this life. And he’s worth every freaking penny. That’s all I can say. He’s fantastic.”
The Warriors gave Butler a lot of pennies after landing him, but they clearly have no complaints so far. The team went 23-8 with him on the roster down the stretch, and held on to see off Houston, buoyed in part by Butler’s attitude. He also contributed 20 points, 8 rebounds, and 7 assists in Golden State’s Game 7 win.
Butler will face a bigger test starting Tuesday against the Minnesota Timberwolves, where he will not be greeted warmly. The Warriors seem to have no concerns about whether he will rise to the occasion.
