The Golden State Warriors were given their third loss of the 2025-26 NBA season on Saturday against the Indiana Pacers. Jimmy Butler was one of two players who scored at least 20 points in the Warriors’ 114-109. Butler had an all-around game, adding six rebounds, seven assists, three steals and two blocks. But even that wasn’t enough for Golden State to secure a win.
The Warriors had a great start to the year, posting a 4-1 record through their first five games. The team secured wins over potential playoff teams such as the Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers, and Denver Nuggets. But the team has struggled against teams like the Pacers and the Memphis Grizzlies. Before facing Golden State, Indiana didn’t have a single win to their record.
Because the squad has performed well against top teams while losing to underperforming ones, fans have begun to lose patience. Butler is aware that there is a need for the squad to improve its unity.
Following their loss against Indiana, Jimmy Butler didn’t hold back and was honest about his assessment of the team’s recent performance.
“We’ve got to get back to playing our roles to a T,” Butler said. “Giving a damn whenever we turn it over. Giving a damn whenever our man scores. We guard as a team, we score as a team, everybody’s got to be on the same page. I think we’ve gotten away from that a little bit.”
The Warriors have a chance to redeem themselves in their next game on Tuesday, against the Phoenix Suns. However, the Suns are not favorites to make the playoffs since, like the Pacers and Grizzlies, they have had a difficult start to the season.
Steve Kerr said the Warriors should prioritize floor spacing with Jimmy Butler
The way the Warriors have played in recent years is not comparable to Jimmy Butler’s style of play. He doesn’t shoot the ball from long range like Steph Curry. Instead, he generates his points by driving inside the basket and forcing his way to the rim.
Unfortunately, the Warriors’ lineup of Buter, Curry, Brandin Podziemski, Draymond Green and Jonathan Kuminga restricts him from being effective on offense. Green and Kuminga aren’t reliable outside shooters, which clogs the floor inside the 3-point arc.
Following the team’s loss to the Pacers, Warriors’ head coach Steve Kerr commented on addressing spacing problems with Butler.
“We’re probably trying too hard to make plays happen. We saw some mismatches that ran on to the post, which would have been great in 2005. But not anymore,” Kerr said. “You really have to keep that lane open. It opens up a lot of possibilities for us, especially with Jimmy and JK driving, getting opportunities with Draymond on the perimeter.
If the Warriors solve their spacing issues, they could be problematic for the other 29 teams this season.
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Reign also writes NBA and WNBA news updates on Sportskeeda. He started as a feature writer for AirAlamo, an NBA website that covers the San Antonio Spurs. Some of his work can also be seen on Valley of the Suns, a Phoenix Suns-centric website, where he served as a contributing writer.
