Warriors forward Jimmy Butler won’t be available when the regular season ends next month, but he told reporters Monday that he is ahead of schedule in recovering from his torn ACL (Link to video on Twitter via ESPN’s Anthony Slater). Butler said the team isn’t letting him “skip steps” and wants him back to 100 percent before joining the Warriors, per Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Areabut the 37-year-old is confident he’ll look like his old self when he eventually returns.
“Whenever I’m ready to go, I promise you I’ll be back, and it will be … I think it’s going to be pretty amazing to everyone how good I’m still going to be.” Butler said. “Probably nicer, honestly.”
Butler has resumed field activity, but is not yet at full speed or making contact. However, he continues to hit certain checkpoints in his recovery and suggested on Monday that he is regaining his explosiveness.
“I can dunk a basketball if anyone wants to know,” he said, according to Poole. “I’m really excited about it. It’s still a process, but at least now I can play a little bit of basketball. And I know that all the work I’ve been putting in is starting to come through in basketball.”
Another wing of warriors Moses Moodywill also spend the first part of the season recovering from a major injury as he continues his comeback from a torn patellar tendon. While he called the rehab process “grueling,” Moody said Monday that he remains positive and has moved on to “easy” work on the court. I hope that he will be able to return in the second half of the season, writes Dylan Grouse of NBC Sports Bay Area.
“I’m confident in the plan” Moody said. “I think everything was on the right track (director of sports medicine and performance) Rick (Celebrations) rated and everything. Yes, I’m in a good place.”
We have more on the Warriors:
- We discuss Stephen Currynew two-year, $116 million contract, general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr said Monday in a press conference that the team is “thrilled” to have Curry sign a multiyear deal and praised the two-time MVP for his willingness to sign for less than the max. “I think we’ve found a middle ground where he’s been incredibly generous in taking this deal, where he’s taking less money to help the team because, as Steph says, he’s just as competitive.” dunleavy said according to Groush. “He wants to win. He’s put us in a position where it gives us a little more flexibility to do that. So I think the middle ground was to sign him to be able to almost guarantee that he’ll finish his career here while still having some flexibility, still having some extra options, and we’ve done that.”
- Nick Friedel of The Athletic shares a few more highlights from Warriors media day, noting that Brandin underground and Dunleavy is optimistic about reaching a deal to extend Podzemski to the rookies before the season begins.
- In an interview with Mark J. Spears from AndscapeWarriors forward Draymond Green touched on several topics, including the details of his free agent recruitment LeBron James and why he thinks LeBron hasn’t decided to sign with Golden State. “He just couldn’t get over the past, which is, ‘I’ve fought these guys over and over again.’ What will it look like to me now when I get there? What type of beating will I receive when I get there? And that’s why it ended up not happening.” – said Green. “… I also think that’s why it took so long to make the decision, because I know it (Golden State) was the right decision. He just couldn’t land on it.”
- At least two spots in the Warriors’ starting lineup are up for grabs during training camp and the preseason, and that number could grow to three if Kristaps Porzingis is not healthy for the start of the regular season. Dalton Johnson of NBC Sports Bay Area looks at some of the contenders for starting spots along with Curry and Green.
