Jimmy Butler didn’t try to soften anything after the Warriors’ 127–123 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers. Golden State blew an 11-point lead, got hammered on the glass, and gave up 21 offensive rebounds. Butler’s take was very simple. The Warriors didn’t defend, and they didn’t compete
“We just not guarding nobody. That’s from what I can tell. I haven’t been here long, but that’s never been the formula here. Not to win a championship. You gotta take each and every matchup personal. Yeah, help’s gonna be there, but we gotta do way better guarding.”
His tone was pretty clear that this didn’t stem from just one night. Butler was talking about habits, which is important during an entire season. He has been part of teams where defense is the backbone and he clearly didn’t like what he saw today from the Warriors.
He laid out the problem plainly when asked about the Blazers‘ grabbing 21 offensive rebounds.
“It’s everything, cuz you’re not taking anything away. You’re not taking the paint away, you’re not taking away layups, free throws, lobs, threes, so we don’t know where they’re gonna get a shot from. But tonight they was getting whatever shot they wanted.”
Portland’s numbers backed him up. The Blazers won the rebounding battle 52–32 and punished the Warriors with 28 second-chance points. Every time Golden State put together a good defensive possession, someone in a Portland jersey scooped up the miss.
Donovan Clingan and Toumani Camara combined for 10 offensive boards. Stephen Curry hit nine threes and put up 38 points, but it didn’t matter. Too many extra possessions wiped away the advantage he created.
And it wasn’t just Butler who felt it. Curry echoed the same concerns, just in a softer tone.
“We played well enough to win, but have nothing to show for it. We couldn’t get a rebound. Just defensively together as a unit, didn’t do good enough.”
This has been the story of the Warriors’ season so far. They’re sitting at 9–9 and have let multiple double-digit leads slip away. Their defensive rating looks solid on paper, as they are ranked 10th in the league, but their rebounding remains one of their biggest flaws.
They’re 23rd in defensive rebounding, and it keeps showing up at the worst times. Steve Kerr even hinted they may need to play two bigs more often, something that goes against the identity that defined their championship years.
That is why Butler’s comments carry weight. He didn’t arrive in the Golden State to blend in or tiptoe around issues. He’s known for confronting problems head-on, and he sees a team drifting instead of tightening up.
The Warriors still have the shooting, the IQ, and the experience to win games, but they’re giving away too many possessions and allowing opponents to dictate the physical side of the matchup.
Butler wasn’t pointing fingers. He was warning them. If they don’t start guarding people and rebounding with purpose, close games will keep slipping away. And in a crowded Western Conference, a season can unravel faster than anyone expects.
