The Golden State Warriors’ series against the Houston Rockets may see a major shift. After leaving Game 2 early due to suffering an injury, Jimmy Butler took an MRI which revealed that he had suffered a deep glute muscle contusion. This put his status for Game 3 on Saturday in serious jeopardy. He suffered the injury after falling hard on his tailbone region following his attempt to go up and make a play.
Luckily for Butler, while he may end up missing Game 3, he was able to avoid a fracture or any structural damage. A good sign that he could be back sooner rather than later. The Warriors, who acquired him back in February, have seen their season turn completely around since his arrival and went from fighting just to make the play to earning the No. 7 seed in the Western Conference.
What Butler Has Brought To the Warriors
Since Butler joined Golden State, the Warriors went from hovering around .500 at the All-Star break to having a 25-9 record and finished the season at 48-34. The record is not the only thing that Butler has helped with. Whenever Butler is on the floor, the Warriors scoring efficiency improves dramatically, with his presence allowing space to open up for players such as Stephen Curry. But if Butler does end up missing Game 3, it could pose problems for Golden State and put them in a tough spot despite coming home for two games.
The Warriors have been on a mission this season to win a fifth championship. Before officially acquiring Butler, there was chatter about him going to the Warriors. The team was in dire need of another superstar to pair with Curry. In 30 regular season games with the Warriors, he averaged 17.9 points, 5.9 assists and 5.5 rebounds. His best game with the team this season arguably was Golden State’s play-in win over the Memphis Grizzlies where he scored 38 points while adding seven rebounds and six assists.
Final Thoughts
The Warriors are in danger of losing the series against the Rockets without Butler. Struggling mightily before he got there, not having him against the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference is a recipe for disaster. Houston gained serious momentum after winning game two. But, the Warriors do not play until Saturday and in most cases, a tailbone injury is a pain tolerance thing. If Butler feels that the pain is not unbearable, then he may be able to play.
