The Secret of Jimmy Butler and Stephen Curry's Sensational Duo

Stephen Curry may have to settle for ending his career with four championship rings, while Jimmy Butler must accept the status of a star without a crown. Two months ago, in February 2025, that reality loomed over the two veteran basketball players. Fate's course changed instantly after they united with the Golden State Warriors.

The Warriors are the most feared team in the NBA right now, about two weeks before the playoffs. Curry is starting to be predicted to win his fifth ring at the end of the season, while Butler will taste his first championship title. The drastic transformation is not just a movie scenario or fantasy, it really happened at the club from San Francisco.

LeBron James, the Los Angeles Lakers basketball player who is often hailed as the "GOAT," validated this. "I once faced them (Warriors) when they added Kevin Durant. Jimmy is a great player. He makes them tougher. However, it’s always the same. They always find a way out," he said.

James' statement was not just a formality, not just to maintain a friendship with Curry. He said it right after the Lakers lost to the Warriors at home, the Crypto.com Arena Stadium, on Friday (4/4/2025). There was a sense of admiration and a little jealousy in his sentence.

James is understandably under threat. Before Butler was traded from the Miami Heat just two months ago, the Warriors were more likely to fail than make the playoffs. They have now climbed to fifth in the Western Conference after back-to-back wins over three rival teams in four days: the Lakers, Memphis Grizzlies and Denver Nuggets.

Since the Butler era, the Warriors have ridden the momentum with a record of 23 wins and 5 losses, ranking third-best in the league. This record becomes even more impressive when calculated only for games where Curry and Butler played together from the start, with 20 wins and 2 losses. It is undeniable that they are the hottest team in the NBA right now.

The main spotlight of the Warriors' success is certainly directed at Curry. The most accurate shooter under the heavens is currently "on fire." Just look at the sample from the last three crucial games. He led the team with a total contribution of 125 points, including scoring 52 points at the Grizzlies' home court.

Urgency, Curry said, is the secret to his blistering performance. He’s in playoff mode. “The feeling of where you are in the standings makes every game important. We know what this team is capable of. The confidence is with us, so it’s just a matter of riding the momentum,” the 37-year-old guard said.

Super Butler

Curry's greatness is no longer up for debate. Before Butler arrived, he also carried the Warriors almost single-handedly in nearly every game this season. Curry is simply more motivated now compared to the start of the season. Aside from that, the main reason Coach Steve Kerr's team has become relevant again is the presence of Butler.

The Warriors versus Nuggets match, on Friday morning WIB, was enough to explain that. The 118-104 victory was the first for the Warriors after nine consecutive losses to the Nuggets. Not coincidentally, Butler (19 points, 5 assists, 5 steals) was the most influential player throughout the match.

Butler's influence is reflected in the highest recorded plus-minus statistics (+21). The forward brought a 21-point advantage when on the court. Interestingly, the Warriors were able to lead by 8 points over the Nuggets when Curry sat on the bench. Before Butler arrived, such an occurrence was very rare.

Curry can now smile from the bench. He no longer has to worry about his team losing momentum when he returns to the court. It’s all thanks to Butler leading the Warriors’ second unit. When the Warriors can win with and without Curry on the court, opponents have no choice but to fold.

Curry once said that Butler's figure provided a new experiment that had not been felt since his debut in 2009. Curry, along with his former teammate Klay Thompson, were nicknamed the "Splash Brothers" because they were both good at shooting three-pointers. Butler was very different, looking for more points from the inside area.

The presence of a figure with a different element has successfully changed the Warriors' playing style. The evolution can be seen from the record of the number of free throws. With Butler, the Warriors became the team with the highest average number of free throws in the league (20.6 times). Before the six-time All-Star player arrived, they were in the bottom position (14.7 times).

The free throws come from Butler's aggression in the deep area. The 35-year-old is making an average of 6.3 free throws out of 7.3 attempts. Despite only being with the Warriors for two months, Butler is already the second-highest free throw total on the club. His record is only below Curry.

Opposing teams will not only have to deal with Curry’s magical shooting from the three-point line, but also guard the interior from Butler’s threat. “Since we got Jimmy, our team has been very effective with rotations on the court. Jimmy can also work with the wide spaces that other players give him,” Kerr said.

Butler, a five-time All-Defensive Team selection, also adds intensity to the Warriors' defense. Opposing teams already have to deal with a defensive specialist like Draymond Green, and then add Butler. Green is a strong candidate for Defensive Player of the Year this season.

The Butler-Curry duo will continue to play at the end of the regular season. The Warriors will play five remaining games to determine their position in the final standings. The Warriors (46 wins - 31 losses) can still overtake the third-place Lakers (47-30) and the fourth-place Nuggets (47-31) or drop out of the top six.

The Butler-Curry duo was never expected to be a perfect fit, but it turned out to be a perfect fit. Butler divulged the secret of that fit in a short, concise and clear manner. “Honestly, humbly, I fit in anywhere,” he said. (AP)