An up and down week for the Golden State Warriors has shown the best and worst of the team.
The Golden State Warriors loss to the Denver Nuggets was an embarrassing loss for the team, facing a short-handed side without Nikola Jokic, Christian Braun and Jamal Murray.
Speaking after the loss, head coach Steve Kerr expressed that Steph Curry was tired, commenting: “He’s exhausted right now. So, we’ve got to absolutely consider giving him a night and getting him rejuvenated for the sake of him and the remainder of our games.”
Kerr backed this up by resting Curry in the Warriors subsequent game against the Milwaukee Bucks, the second night of a back to back. And the bold move paid off.
Speaking between the Warriors’ games with the Aaron Gordon inspired Nuggets and the Milwaukee Bucks, NBA legend Paul Pierce called on Jimmy Butler to step up.
Noting the scoring inconsistency in Butler’s game that recently saw him score only 11 against the Knicks and 6 against the Kings, Pierce pointed out that this is an area to improve if the Warriors are going to confidently rest Curry, and also to improve the strain on him when he is on the court.
Pierce told FS1’s Speak: “He needs to take more pressure off Steph. You see Steph looks obviously kind of worn down, there’s going to be nights where you look up and Jimmy has to lead the team in shots and scoring and minutes.
“I know they both older and getting up there in age, but that’s what he was brought there to do, to take pressure off Steph.”
Pierce expressed the view that he feels Curry does too much on court at this late stage in his career.
He said: “He’s human, he’s had the weight of the franchise for all these years, and if you tracked his running, running around the court, he probably runs more than anybody in the NBA at the age of 37 the way he is off the ball.
“He needs a break, this is what you need heading into the playoffs. He’s played the majority of the games.”
On the night Steph Curry was rested by the Warriors, Jimmy Butler stepped up in just the way Pierce had urged him to, with the team defeating the Milwaukee Bucks 104-93.
Butler came close to a triple-double with a 23-8-10 performance, in which he went 11-11 from free throws.
Speaking post-game in his press conference, Kerr emphasized Butler’s ability to contribute when it mattered most. He said: “He’s been telling you guys when it’s time, he’ll do it. Tonight it was time.”
The Warriors are now sixth in the Western Conference with a 40-29 record, three games back from the fifth placed Memphis Grizzlies.
