The Golden State Warriors have regained control of their destiny thanks to the Memphis Grizzlies‘ 141-125 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday.
All the Warriors need to do to clinch the sixth seed is to win their last two games — against the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday and the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday.
The Warriors could potentially grab a higher seeding if the Clippers both lost their last two games.
If the Warriors reach the playoffs, a rival executive fears for his team and the rest of the Western Conference.
“I would not want to play them in any round,” the Western Conference executive told ESPN.
The Warriors made it hard for themselves to clinch a playoff berth when they “messed” around the lottery-bound San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday as they lost on a Harrison Barnes’ 3-point buzzer-beater.
But they remain a team to reckon with in the postseason with “Playoff Jimmy” Butler revitalizing the Warriors at the trade deadline. Despite the slip-up against the Victor Wembanyama and De’Aaron Fox-less Spurs, the Warriors are still 22-6 with Butler. They are 21-4 with Butler and Stephen Curry playing together.
What Jimmy Butler Brought to the Warriors
The Warriors have soared to the top six in the West from 11th before the trade. Yet the rival executive does not care about the Warriors’ seeding in the postseason.
“The most important thing is their confidence, not their record,” the Western Conference executive told ESPN. “People think Steph and Dray don’t need confidence, but they all do. [Andrew] Wiggins didn’t always have that and you could tell. Jimmy has provided that.”
Stephen Curry and Draymond Green have repeatedly spoken about this.
“The biggest thing he’s changed is obviously the skill on the court and what we’re capable of doing but he’s just brought this belief to this group that we feel like we can win again and we’re playing like that,” Green said after they beat the Los Angeles Lakers on April 3.
Since Butler’s Warriors’ debut on Feb. 8, they have climbed to No. 3 in defensive rating from No. 10 before the trade. They had the top defense before they lost their last two home games to the Houston Rockets and Spurs.
Aside from improving the Warriors’ defense, Butler has also made them the most prolific free throw-shooting team, averaging 20.4 makes per game, from dead last (14.7) before his arrival.
Steph Curry Issues Challenge to Warriors
After the disastrous loss to the Spurs, Curry put the Warriors on notice.
“A good team will bounce back from it and takes care of business these next two [games] and goes from there,” Curry told reporters. “We have to prove we’re a good team.”
Curry was disappointed they squandered a 12-point fourth-quarter lead against the Spurs.
“You give a team life and give them the ability to make a run, finish a fourth quarter like they did then it’s make or miss at the end of the game whether it’s going to overtime or not and you never want to put yourself in that position,” Curry said. “We did and got bit by it.”
Their margin for error shrunk to zero.
“We know where we’re at,” Curry said. “We know every game is important. It’s been important for the last two weeks. We’ve done a lot to give ourselves a chance to climb pretty high considering where we were before the trade deadline. Then these last two home games, it sucks for different reasons. Houston and then tonight, we feel like were winnable. [We] Should have won.”
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