Once Stephen Curry suffered a right quadriceps injury, it was all but certain that the Golden State Warriors would struggle in his absence. After all, they didn’t looked all that great even with him in the lineup. Much to the entire league’s surprise, they have won two games in a row, which has also impressed star forward Jimmy Butler. Well, he has been impressed with every teammate except for one.
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On Saturday, the Warriors were able to pull off an incredible upset against the Cleveland Cavaliers. They were without Curry, Butler, and Draymond Green, but none of that mattered. The very next day, Butler would return to the lineup and help lead the team to an emphatic 123-91 victory over the Bulls.
The performance from the Warriors this past weekend pushes them to a 13-12 record this season. The Warriors received great contributions from their role plyers, which resulted in heaps of praise from Butler.
“Pat’s been hooping. F*****g love what I’m seeing from Pat. [Brandin Podziemski] was out there doing the damn thing today,” Butler said while speaking to the media.
Pat Spencer and Podziemski certainly deserve praise. Spencer finished with 12 points, while Podziemski put forth a solid 21-point outing. However, Butler didn’t just compliment his teammates. He also threw one familiar face under the bus.
“Buddy still can’t shoot from the left corner,” Butler proclaimed. “But all in all, I think we’re finally starting to figure out who we are.”
Of course, Buddy Hield was the one on the receiving end of Butler’s criticism. That is quite on brand considering the dynamic the two have as teammates and as friends.
It isn’t a secret that Hield is having the worst season of his career. The key difference is that this is the lowest number of minutes he has played in his career. In that win against the Bulls, Hield did in fact struggle with his three-point shot, going 1 for 5. But he was able to impact in other ways enroute to 9 points and 7 rebounds.
Obviously, Butler won’t admit that. Perhaps this is payback for Hield’s recent comments regarding Butler after the Warriors’ victory over the New Orleans Pelicans earlier this month. “Jimmy’s able to control the game with him, just foul baiting and getting to the line,” Hield said.
The teasing between the two has become a big part of their friendship. Even when Butler first joined Golden State, he didn’t hesitate to poke fun at Hield, even during the postseason.
Hield put forth a massive 15 points in a big Game 4 victory over the Houston Rockets. Butler could’ve given Hield the praise he was due, but just simply refused. “I hate to give Buddy a compliment, so I’m not going to,” Butler said.
It may not seem like it, but Hield and Butler are one of the biggest bromances in the NBA. Hopefully, this season is home to more hilarious interactions and moments between the two.
