Jimmy Butler had the NBA world wondering what’s going on ahead of the Golden State Warriors’ Saturday night matchup against the Charlotte Hornets.
The veteran star wasn’t on the injury report leading up to the game. In fact, he was announced as a starter, signaling he was geared up and ready to play. Suddenly, that wasn’t the case.
Butler was a late scratch. The decision wasn’t made based on a physical injury, but rather a personal reason. That left fans curious, and even led some to speculate that something was going down.
After the game, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr addressed Butler’s absence. While the head coach didn’t get into specifics, he explained that he was notified of Butler’s eventual absence right before the tip, but was assured that everything was fine.
NBA Fans Show Support for Butler
@jinthirty: Thank God
@Odig_ie: That’s good
@da_ravu: Hope all okay for jimmy
@goatholmes304: Prayers for jimbo
@Eli48767111: Long as he all good,
The Warriors managed just fine without Butler in the mix. Facing a 15-win Hornets team, the Warriors put together a dominant performance with a 136-116 victory.
They are now looking ahead to a Monday night matchup against the Miami Heat. Will Butler be available to face his former team? Steve Kerr had an optimistic update, suggesting that Butler should be able to get the nod to return to the lineup at the top of the week.
This season, the Warriors trotted Butler out as a starter for 37 games. He’s been averaging 20.1 points on 51 percent shooting from the field. In addition, Butler has been coming down with 5.6 rebounds and producing 4.9 assists per game.
Heading into their clash with the Heat, the Warriors have a 24-19 record. They are in the midst of a three-game winning streak, winning seven of their last 10. They are getting it together at the right time, but are still a few games out from the sixth seed. On Sunday, the Warriors placed eighth in the Western Conference.