SAN FRANCISCO — Golden State Warriors forward Jimmy Butler tore his right ACL against the Miami Heat Monday night and will miss the remainder of the season, the team announced Tuesday.
The injury, which a team source confirmed to Athletics Monday evening, took place when Butler went down awkwardly after surging for a rebound in the third quarter of the Warriors’ 135-112 win over Miami and is a devastating blow to a team that had finally found its rhythm. Golden State won for the 12th time in 16 games while improving its record to six games above .500 (25-19), but the mood afterward was one of terror due to the severity of the scene when Butler fell.
The 36-year-old, widely considered one of the toughest players in the NBA, remained on the ground for several minutes before getting back up, then limped off the court with the help of two teammates without putting any weight on his right leg. The Warriors announced after the game that Butler was undergoing an MRI, and the results were nothing short of a worst-case scenario for their overall plans.
When the Warriors landed Butler from the Heat last February, that deal came with a two-year, $112 million extension that represented hopes of extending the dynasty era led by Steph Curry and Draymond Green. The Warriors’ second-half surge last season was a confirmation of sorts: They were one of the league’s best teams down the stretch before beating Houston in the first round and falling to Minnesota in the second round after Curry injured his hamstring in the first game of that series. The plan from there, as everyone involved saw it, was to build on what they had done and be even better this time around. This had happened recently, although it had taken longer than expected.
Butler entered Monday’s game in the midst of its best stretch of the season. He averaged 21.9 points in January and seemed both more aggressive in the offense and more comfortable finding his own shots around Curry. Warriors coach Steve Kerr has repeatedly praised Butler in recent weeks for his ability to stabilize the offense and get to the free throw line when needed.
Butler’s ability on the court gave his teammates confidence that the Warriors had the 1-2 punch they needed with Curry and Butler leading the way. That’s exactly why the shock of Butler’s injury hit the group in the quiet Warriors locker room so hard after the game.
Butler’s teammates knew the severity of the injury long before the MRI confirmed it late Monday night. The look of concern on Warriors center Quinten Post’s face was immediate. Post was standing about five feet away when Butler landed awkwardly on his knee – and immediately put his hands on his head.
After the game, Curry sounded almost defiant about the upcoming news, hoping against hope that the injury wasn’t as serious as the Warriors feared. When asked what would change most without Butler on the court — no matter how long he’s gone — Curry, who turns 38 on March 14, wasn’t ready to think about it.
“We’re going to have to do it in committee,” Curry said. “If anyone breaks down. But we will determine what the plan going forward is based on what happens.”
What’s happening right now for the Warriors puts a damper on not only the second half of this season, but a cold reality about a championship window that may have just closed for good with Butler’s injury. The Warriors needed a healthy Butler, Curry, and Green to have a realistic chance of making the playoffs — without him, any chance of making a breakthrough in the Western Conference playoffs likely would have vanished. They currently sit in eighth place in the Western Conference, three games ahead of the Portland Trail Blazers 22-22.
In the wake of Butler’s injury, a natural question arises: Will Jonathan Kuminga play a role in filling the void left by the six-time All-Star?
The Golden State Warriors forward, who is being paid $22.5 million for not playing this season, and whose years-long feud with his employer who left so many loyal fans exhausted and enraged, was no longer as much of a focal point as the team had finally started winning games without him. Yet after this tension-filled stretch in which he has played just nine minutes since Dec. 6, the Warriors suddenly find themselves in a situation where he may be needed more than ever.
When Kerr was asked after Monday night’s game if Kuminga could be used now, he replied: “Of course, absolutely.” Kerr was then asked if Kuminga was ready to play.
“Yeah,” he replied.
Kuminga, who has not been present in public media availability windows since missing a Jan. 2 game against the Oklahoma City Thunder due to what the team called lower back soreness, was approached by Athletics before Tuesday’s game and asked if he wanted to discuss his situation. Kuminga declined to comment.
The Warriors host the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday, then embark on a four-game road trip that features all sorts of ironies: Two of the games are in Minnesota, where Kuminga had to step in in Curry’s absence during the last playoffs and responded quite well. After Curry’s injury in this series, Kuminga averaged 24.3 points on 55.4% shooting in 31 minutes per game. The Warriors, however, lost in five games.
ESPN first reported the severity of Butler’s injury.
