The Warriors lost 115-123 to the Mavericks tonight in their second-straight defeat since losing Jimmy Butler to a season-ending ACL injury.
Following the game, Stephen Curry broke his silence at the press conference on Jimmy Butler’s injury after repeatedly refusing to answer questions about the aftermath on the day it happened.
“It’s obviously a tough situation. First and foremost, you think about him and his recovery and his spirits, just trying to be there for him as a friend and teammate,” said Curry.
“But basketball-wise, we have to make the necessary adjustments and try to keep some semblance of our identity that we were forming with him as a part of that push.”
“These last two games have been difficult making that adjustment, but I think emotionally we have to kind of try to move on, you know, as fast as possible to not let things spiral the wrong direction.”
“I know in sports, and in this league, things can change overnight with an injury like that to a guy like Jimmy. It happens all around the league, and teams have to figure out how to go through it. I guess it’s just our turn now,” Curry further added when asked about whether Butler’s injury has suddenly overwhelmed the Warriors.
“So just the idea of staying, you know, competitive together as a unit, this road trip, hopefully we can bounce back and, you know, have a night where things go our way and we, you know, start to feel good about ourselves.”
“But it’s no secret this is difficult for everybody trying to accept the reality of what’s going on,” Curry concluded on the question.
When asked about the team’s and his own confidence heading into the second half of the season, Curry had a reassuring message.
“I mean, as long as I’m out there, I’m always confident we can win. So, it’s how I play. It’s how we want to play. And until proven otherwise, you have to carry that mentality. That’s just what this league requires.”
“It’s not really fair to try to project too far down the road because we have work to do right now to answer the call of what this team, without Jimmy, needs to do to win.”
Stephen Curry led all scorers for the Warriors with 38 points, four rebounds, and one assist while going 14-27 from the field (51.9 FG%) and 8-15 from beyond the three-point line (53.3 3P%).
Such a masterclass was not enough as the Warriors star had no help from role players beyond De’Anthony Melton on the offensive end of the floor, and lost Jonathan Kuminga early to an ankle injury.
The 37-year-old Warriors superstar reassured the team that as long as he’s on the court, he’s optimistic they can win no matter who else they have.
Therefore, this seems to me like a cryptic red light from Curry telling the Warriors’ front office not to trade Butler and work with what they have instead of being impatient and making a rash decision.
He seems to be resonating with Draymond Green in saying the Warriors don’t need to rush a decision and avoid trading Butler altogether if possible. But that’s just me reading between the lines.
Stephen Curry Reviews Jonathan Kuminga’s Game Amid Trade Speculations
Curry was asked about the Warriors’ upcoming decisions before the trade deadline. While he refused to talk about any individual moves that the Warriors could make, he said his focus remains on winning a game on the road instead of having an existential crisis.
“I’m not talking about that right now. We’re just trying to win a game on the road. So, there’s a lot of time before February 6. There’s a lot of time before the playoffs. I don’t need any existential thoughts right now,” he said.
Steve Kerr previously revealed a silver lining for Jonathan Kuminga as a result of the injury to Butler: more potential minutes. Curry also spoke about how Kuminga has filled in for Butler so far and what he expected from the young forward.
“Exactly what he did and all the minutes that he was out there before he got hurt tonight, just pick and choose the spots when he can attack. You know, he made some great point-five basketball plays where he’s swinging to open man.”
“If he has a one-on-one situation with space, you know, doing what he does to score the basketball. So, it’s just a tribute to him for staying ready.”
“I know it’s been a while since he played, uh, but the work that he was putting in and understanding how things have drastically changed from one game to the next, he looked good. He looked like he was comfortable out there. Hopefully, he’s not out too long and can pick up where he left off,” Curry said in conclusion.
Kuminga injured himself with four and a half minutes left in the second quarter. He limped to the locker room after tweaking his ankle. Thankfully for the Warriors, it was later reported that this injury is not believed to be serious, and he was only sidelined for the rest of the night due to precautionary reasons.
Before exiting the game early tonight, Kuminga had 10 points, one rebound, two assists, and two steals without missing a single shot from the field (3-3, 100 FG%).
While the Warriors have a lot to decide upon before the upcoming trade deadline, Curry remains confident that they can win with whom they have.
Do you think the Warriors should trade Butler? Or should they have patience and faith in Stephen Curry to do what he has done successfully for so many years? At age 37, can he carry the Warriors to win it all? Let us know what you think in the comments section.
