The Golden State Warriors are set to face the Memphis Grizzlies in the play-in tournament — a place no one in the Bay Area wanted to be. After dropping their final regular-season game to the Los Angeles Clippers in a 124-119 overtime loss, the Warriors now face a win-or-go-home scenario. But tonight isn’t just about Stephen Curry chasing another playoff run — it’s about whether Jimmy Butler’s impact was real or just a short-lived spark.
Flashback to January
On Jan. 30, 2025, the Warriors sat uncomfortably in 11th place in the Western Conference. Draymond Green and Jonathan Kuminga were sidelined, the Dennis Schröder experiment had flopped, and head coach Steve Kerr was beginning to feel the pressure — even if he wouldn’t say it publicly.
Then came Feb. 6.
Sitting at 25-26, Golden State pulled the trigger on a blockbuster trade for Jimmy Butler. Fresh off a rocky stint in Miami that included suspensions and tension with Pat Riley, Butler joined a team that desperately needed direction. What followed was exactly what the Warriors hoped for — and more.
In the next 18 games Butler suited up for, the Warriors went 16-2. They leapt out of the play-in picture and even reached the fifth seed by April 1, leapfrogging none other than the Grizzlies. The veteran leadership, defensive tenacity, and late-game shot-making Butler brought gave Golden State the edge it had lacked all season.
Then it all unraveled for Jimmy Butler and the Warriors
From April 8 to the April 13, the Warriors lost three of their final five games. The result? They tumbled back into the play-in tournament — the same position they were trying to escape. Despite Butler averaging 20.3 points and 5.0 assists on better than 50 percent shooting from both the field and three during that stretch, Golden State couldn’t hold on.
So now the question becomes: what did it all mean?
Was holding on to Kuminga — instead of using him as a trade chip — worth it? Can Curry summon one more legendary playoff push before the window closes for good? And what does Butler’s future look like? The 34-year-old signed a two-year, $121 million extension upon arrival, but another early exit could put his time with Golden State in doubt before it ever truly starts.
History isn’t on their side
The Warriors are 0-3 all-time in play-in tournament games. That’s a stat no one on the roster wants to extend to 0-4.
Tonight isn’t just a play-in game — it’s a defining moment. For Curry. For Butler. For the franchise. Either this is the start of something bigger and better — or the final flicker of a team running out of time.