Steve Kerr details Jimmy Butler's ‘terrible' ACL injury, how Warriors to adjust
Warriors coach Steve Kerr speaks to reporters before Golden State's matchup against the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday night at Chase Center.
Steve Kerr details Jimmy Butler's 'terrible' ACL injury, how Warriors to adjust originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Video Transcript
Obviously, it wasn't the news that you and everyone was hoping for on Jimmy.
How have you processed the diagnosis?
Well, most of all, just disappointed for Jimmy, you know.
He's, he was having a great year.
He was, um...
I felt like the last couple of weeks, he was really, um, at the top of his game.
So for him, And for us, obviously, but for him individually, in the middle of a of a really great season with a lot of possibilities.
A lot of excitement with the team, the way we're playing.
I just feel terrible for him that he's going to miss the rest of the year.
It's just part of the game, I know.
Um, injuries are part of it.
But, um, it hurts, for sure.
How many changes to the rotation?
How creative do you need to get without him?
Well, I think we're, uh, we're, we're well-equipped with our depth.
Um, to continue to play at a high level.
I like the team.
I think the difference from last year to this year, To me, it's Melton and Al Horford.
Not to mention Quentin Post for a full year.
You know, at this stage last year, before we traded for Jimmy, We didn't feel like we had enough to really compete.
I think we have enough to compete.
I think Al and... And Melt has given us a different dynamic.
I think a lot of our young players, Um, you know, Quentin, Will Richard, um, you know, the, Those guys are ready to contribute.
They have contributed.
We've got depth, so we can keep this thing going.
Obviously, we'll miss Jimmy, and, he's one of the best players in the league.
So, um, you can't minimize that, trivialize it.
But you play with who you have, and I like who we have.
How did the team react to the news, and have you been able to talk about it?
It yet?
We haven't talked about it.
Everybody got the news, you know, after we all dispersed last night.
You talked last year when you got him, about how much he changed the team.
Not only structurally, but belief-level, and confidence-level.
Yeah.
Um, I mean, you mentioned that you're still confident in the day-to-day here, but the bigger picture, title contention, kind of where y'all are at in your era.
Uh, how do you... How do you just look at what this injury does to kind of y'all's situation at this point of your run?
Well, you just look at it, matter-of-factly.
Um, we, we get it.
Uh, this is part of, part of the NBA.
Part of sports.
I'm not going to spend a lot of time Analyzing where we are in the food chain of the NBA.
I'm going to focus on what we can do to win tonight and win the next game.
And, you know, we have a good vibe going.
We have a really good rhythm.
We've found a pattern of connecting the game offensively and defensively.
I think we can continue to do those things Win games, and if we do that, we build confidence, we build momentum.
And we keep, keep going.
Do you expect Jonathan to be part of the rotation?
He could be.
He could be, yeah.
Um, you know, he's obviously hasn't played in a while.
But, you know, at this point, we have to experiment a little bit with rotations.
See where we are, and he's definitely, um, you know, a, A part of that talk, that conversation.
Steve, to that point, you've talked to him.
Do you think he wants to be part of the Rotation?
Yeah.
So you think he wants to play for you?
Guys, still right now?
I do.
Steve, in a situation like this, is it better to get back on court the next night?
Have a couple of days to sit on it, I guess, with the Jimmy situation?
Uh, yeah.
I mean, I don't think there's a...
There's any way to spin it into a positive.
It's just, It is what it is.
Uh, the thing with the NBA, There's always a game the next night.
And so you have to move on quickly.
No matter what it is, whether it's a losing streak or, You know, an injury, um, you know, so a loss, um, you know.
On a personal level, like Jimmy's, the loss of his season.
Um, you know, it's, um... We all feel for him and, And, uh, feel for our team, um, but we have to move, move forward.
That's the nature of the sport.
Going back to last postseason, Follow-up on Jonathan.
He was out of the rotation.
Comes back and plays against Minnesota and is productive.
Is there anything you can take away that might apply to his current situation?
Is back in the rotation?
From last year?
Last year in Minnesota, he was out of the rotation.
Not really.
I mean, we, um, you know, that was pretty different because Steph was out, and, um, you know, every, Every set of circumstances is different.
But, you know, He's been here over four years, so we are comfortable with what he can do.
And, um, you know, how he might fit in.
What are the biggest things that you're gonna Need to, as best you can, replace with Jimmy out for the year?
Well, we're not going to get to the foul line nearly as often.
And that's a big loss.
I mean, the way that gets us, Easy points, sets up our defense.
So, given that we're gonna miss, A lot of trips to the line.
We've got to make sure we're, Pushing the ball in transition.
We've got to get some easy hoops.
You know, some buckets off our defense.
Um, you figure Jimmy, I'm guessing he goes to the line eight times a game.
Um, I'm not sure we can replace more than a couple of those.
You know, depending on who we put out there, it's just not apples to apples.
So, assuming we're going to get five or six fewer free throws a game, We gotta find some easy points, force some turnovers, get out in transition.
Um, and make sure we're doing what we've done the last couple weeks.
Which is taking care of the ball.
Steve, for more than a month now, You've had a pretty consistent starting lineup when, uh, When they... At full strength.
With Jimmy out, do you wanna have a consistent starting lineup?
Or is it a little bit of trial and error, kind of figuring out how the rotations work?
Yeah, I think there could be some trial and error, because, You know, Jimmy's absence creates a domino effect on the rest of the lineup.
It's not as easy as just replacing him with one guy, and then it.
It works the same way.
I mean, every player affects the next.
One.
And so we'll start, obviously, differently tonight, and then we'll see how it goes, and we'll We'll, we'll keep going.
And no, I'm not gonna tell you who.
Start.
Just keep going with that one.
Specifically, when we know Butler is great with the starting lineup, But he is that initiator with the second group when Steph is out.
I know you probably can't know who would do that, or you just don't want to One person, but is Melton the most likely person to be that kind of initiator on the Second unit?
Yeah, when Steph is out, weI mean, That's probably the biggest thing we have to adapt to now.
Um, with Jimmy's absence, so in the non-Steph minutes, You know, of which there are generally 16, I would expect Melt and Brandon both to be on the floor so that they can both handle and create.
And we'll need shooters on the floor.
So that's a time when Al, Quentin Post, Moses, Will Richard, Buddy, you know.
We'll want our shooters on the floor, you know.
Around Melt and BP, just to open things up.
And make sure we can score.
