Stephen A. Smith Suggests Jimmy Butler is Capable of Replicating Prime Klay Thompson’s Impact Alongside Steph Curry

Jimmy Butler has fit perfectly alongside Stephen Curry in the Warriors starting lineup. The six-time All-Star provides a unique set of skills that complement Curry extremely well. Golden State is experiencing Butler’s impact on a grand scale, as the team is 7-1 when he has played. Despite the small sample size, Stephen A. Smith has seen enough to believe Butler is capable of replicating prime Klay Thompson’s impact alongside Curry.

Butler’s production isn’t jumping out of the stat sheet. He is only averaging 16.4 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 5.6 assists. However, his presence alone allows for the Warriors‘ offense and defense to thrive in ways that weren’t possible before the trade.

The five-time All-NBA member doesn’t play like Thompson in the slightest. He isn’t a great three-point shooter, but he is excellent at getting to the free-throw line. His ability to apply pressure on defense to create for himself and others relieves Curry of a significant offensive burden.

Smith has taken all of this into consideration when evaluating the new-look Warriors. He took to ESPN’s Get Up to boldly claim that Butler’s impact will rival the other half of the ‘Splash Brothers’ duo.

“Jimmy Butler has definitely been a pleasant surprise,” Smith said. “I just didn’t think it would be this good of a match with him and Steph Curry. In a totally different way, he benefits Steph Curry almost as much as Klay Thompson did.”

Smith made it clear that Thompson and Butler don’t impact the game through the same methods. As great of a shooter as Thompson was, he wasn’t exceptional at creating for himself. He thrived in Golden State’s movement system, which worked wonders alongside Curry.

The Warriors are a different constructed team now. They require someone who can help carry the offense alongside Curry. Butler’s ability to score the ball in a variety of different ways gives Curry the co-star he desperately needed. Curry’s level of play since the trade is evidence of Butler’s impact.

Brian Windhorst credits Jimmy Butler for unlocking Curry

Curry has looked like a brand-new man since the Warriors acquired JimmyButler. Defenses no longer have the option to load up against the NBA’s all-time three-point leader and he is taking full advantage.

He recently scored 56 points and connected on 12 three-pointers in a win against the Magic. ESPN analyst Brian Windhorst believes this performance was only possible because Butler unlocks Curry.

“In the eight games since Butler has got there, [Curry] has been unlocked,” Windhorst said. “He’s averaging 31 points, the best in the league in this stretch. And he’s shooting 44% from three. The Curry and Butler combination has helped unlock Steph.”

At one point, the Warriors were outside of the Play-In. Due to their recent success with Butler, they are on the brink of sneaking into the top six in the West. Butler’s ability to unlock Curry may be one of the scariest developments for the rest of the league as the Warriors gear for a potential deep postseason run.