Jimmy Butler experienced something he isn’t used to on Thursday night: he played with Jonathan Kuminga.
Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr called upon Kuminga and gave him more minutes than he has had in months.
Kuminga was able to capitalize on that, scoring a team-high 18 points for his Warriors, even though they lost to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Following the game, Butler spoke about performing with Kuminga and what they can achieve together.
“I can play with anybody. He can play with anybody. It’s all about playing basketball the right way,” Butler said, via 95.7 The Game. “Just make the right play over and over and over again every single time. It don’t matter who you’re out there with. Me and JK could thrive; can and will thrive together on the basketball floor.”
“I can play with anybody. He can play with anybody… Me and JK could thrive; can and will thrive together on the basketball floor.”
Jimmy Butler III on playing with Jonathan Kuminga pic.twitter.com/lO7x5UfoOO
— 95.7 The Game (@957thegame) May 9, 2025
Butler said that he and Kuminga will need to be aggressive, and that is definitely true.
The Timberwolves came out swinging on Thursday, and they led the tempo all night, leaving the Warriors on their heels and out of sorts.
Seeing Kuminga explode in such a big way was an encouraging sign for Warriors fans, but they clearly need more than that.
Steph Curry is out and could be missing for some time, which means the Warriors need a leader.
Butler has proven that he can be that and could guide his team, including Kuminga, forward.
This is one of the reasons why the Warriors took a chance on Butler when they traded for him.
He has a perfect opportunity to work well with Kuminga, grow closer with his teammates, and help his team push through a rough patch without Curry.
He said he can work well with anyone, so now he must prove that.
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