Jimmy Butler sounded excited about the upcoming season with the Golden State Warriors, although he made one critical error that could upset some of his teammates.
On paper, the Golden State Warriors should be able to compete for a title. Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler, and Draymond Green are perhaps the best “Big Three” in the NBA, and under Steve Kerr, the Warriors have a championship pedigree.
However, it’s not 2017 anymore, and although Curry, Butler, and Green are all elite players, they are on the wrong side of 35, age is catching up to them, and injuries are a constant threat.
On top of that, the Warriors have done a poor job of adding any sort of talent behind their core three, which Butler was happy to point out.
After the Warriors traded for Butler, he was quick and eager to accept his role as Curry’s sidekick, calling himself “Robin,” a reference he seems to hold onto, although he expanded it to include Green.
“I’m on my way to being great, man,” he posted on Instagram. “Robin, he going to Robin the s— out of this mother—– this year. Batman gonna do his job. Draymond is the Batmobile, you know. He’s like the one that gotta get us where we need to go. He does a little bit of everything.”
It seemed like his metaphor ended there, leaving his teammates high and dry.
“Who else we got?” he asked. “I don’t know. Golden State, though.”
Fans were quick to pile on.
“Bro don’t even know who on the roster besides Curry & Draymond,” commented a fan.
“‘Who else we got’ 30 days before training camp is crazy,” posted another. “Can’t relate.”
“He named 3 players and Buddy,” added a third. “Dubs cooked.”
Of course, Golden State has not done the best job of rounding out its roster, and maybe Butler can’t be blamed for his bluntness.
This summer, the Warriors lost Kevon Looney in free agency, and Pat Spencer and Gary Payton II seem likely to leave the Bay, as well.
The Warriors have been linked to Al Horford and De’Anthony Melton, although neither of them has signed, and Golden State is yet to make a single addition. However, the fact that their “title hopes” hinge on a 39-year-old center contemplating retirement and Melton, who is a bench player coming off an ACL tear, doesn’t exactly inspire a lot of confidence.
As a result, some fans were quick to defend Butler for asking who else is on the roster.
“He just didn’t want to mention any other names cause he’s thinking any one of ‘em might get moved,” pointed out a supporter.
“Couldn’t name another useful player on the team, me neither Jimbo,” added another, slamming the Warriors’ roster.
Of course, Brandin Podziemski, Buddy Hield, and presumably Jonathan Kuminga will all return to the team, but those names don’t inspire a ton of confidence, as they are three of the streakiest players in the entire NBA.
As Butler is well aware, “Batman and Robin,” with the help of their “Batmobile,” are the Warriors’ only hope of even making the playoffs, much less winning a title.
