Going into the 2025-26 season, the Golden State Warriors largely stayed out of the transfer market. It came as a shock to the fan base, considering they had an ageing roster with a history of injuries. Regardless, the higher-ups chose to back and develop Jonathan Kuminga (instead of moving him) and try to make it work. And it did work for a stretch, but the Warriors have mostly struggled to string together wins.
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Before they faced the Phoenix Suns on Saturday, Golden State was riding a three-game losing streak. Thanks to another strong showing from Stephen Curry, along with 25 points from Butler, the Warriors managed to pull out a 119-116 win over the Suns, improving their record to 14-15.
That inconsistency hasn’t gone unnoticed. GM Steve Kerr has constantly chopped and changed the roster, leading some fans to even question whether instability has been the root of the team’s struggles. Meanwhile, Butler spoke to the media after the game and suggested that the team hadn’t been moving with a shared purpose.
“I just don’t think that we have all been on the same page, playing for one another,” he said. However, quickly reflecting on the win against the Suns, he added that the team now realizes what they need to do to win.
“Honestly, we were all on the same page on how badly we wanted to win this one,” claimed the small forward. “After the ending of the game … we all came to a certain conclusion. We all have got to be in this team together,” Butler added.
Butler said the Warriors haven’t been on the same page during their recent struggles. As far as his offensive output the last two games, “I got the ball more if I’m being honest,” he said.
“Shoot the ball when I’m open, as always. Pass it when I’m not, as always.”
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— Sam Gordon (@BySamGordon) December 21, 2025
Warriors veteran Draymond Green has also pointed out that the team has been making little mistakes over a period of time, all of which have had a cascading effect on losing close games. Nearly all of their outings since the October 30 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks have followed the same pattern.
Curry steps up with his trademark 3-pointers and has a big night, but the Warriors miss chances to close games and end up committing turnovers late.
“It’s just kind of been this trickle-down effect all year … it’s just gotten worse and worse,” he said on his podcast.
The four-time NBA champion has, however, maintained his belief in the team being able to turn the season around for good. With Butler seemingly hitting form, Green believes, they are “more than capable of cleaning it up. We’re right there. A lot of these games are right there, and we’re just losing them at the end.”
Well, it does seem that they are on the same page now. There are still 60-odd games left in the regular season, so there’s no reason they shouldn’t be optimistic.
