Is Jimmy Butler the Dark Horse of Stephen A. Smith’s 2025-26 Must-Watch Players?

“You can’t ask him at age 37 to continue to do that without stepping up and showing Jimmy Buckets who the hell Jimmy Buckets is, reminding the world of Jimmy Buckets and what he brings to the table. Didn’t see much of that against Minnesota after Steph Curry went down. Got to make up for that this upcoming season, a full season under your belt in Golden State, because if Jimmy Butler and Steph Curry are on their game, noise can be made in the Western Conference.”

Everyone, including ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith, will be keeping an eye on how Butler helps Steph Curry and Co. as they make a run at the 2025-26 NBA title.

In the Warriors’ first-round NBA playoff series against the Rockets, Butler averaged 18.3 points, 6.0 rebounds and 4.8 assists in six contests. He did sustain a pelvic contusion in Game 2 of the series that caused him to miss Game 3. He played in the final four games against Houston and scored at least 20 points three times, including 27 points twice.

“Here’s why [Butler] is so important,” Smith said on “First Take” on Friday morning. “Because his teammate [Curry] is the greatest shooter God has ever created, who, by the way, hospitalizes opponents who chase him around stupidly, trying to find out how you can do what you can with him and then they got to go to the hospital for oxygen, for air, because Steph Curry can do that to you, OK?

Butler, last season, joined the Warriors’ lineup on Feb. 8. Entering that game against the Chicago Bulls, Golden State had a 25-26 record, but went 23-8 to close out the regular season with a 48-34 record, good enough to secure the Western Conference’s No. 7 seed and the top spot in the NBA play-in tournament, which they advanced out of.

Against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the second round, Butler was forced to carry the load for much of the series after Curry suffered a hamstring injury in Game 1, which the Warriors ultimately won. While Butler averaged 20.3 points in the four games without Curry, Golden State lost all four contests.

Dub Nation, the NBA world and Stephen A. all will be keeping a close watch on how Butler helps the Warriors this season.

Smith recently revealed his list of the top five players to watch during the upcoming NBA season, and the pundit has Butler ranked at No. 4, ahead of Dallas Mavericks point guard Kyrie Irving and behind new Houston Rockets forward Kevin Durant, Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Dončić and Mavericks center Anthony Davis.

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The Warriors are approaching their first full NBA season with Jimmy Butler in the mix after a successful half-season sample size.

Curry gives any Warriors team a chance to win, but the franchise knows it needs him and Butler at the top of their game if they want to compete in a stacked Western Conference.

As the Golden State Warriors gear up for their inaugural full season with Jimmy Butler fully in tow, there’s a palpable buzz in the air—and for good reason. Last season offered just a tantalizing glimpse of what Butler’s addition could mean for a squad led by none other than Steph Curry, who remains the gold standard of shooters, dazzling and downright devastating to defenders. But let’s be real—Curry’s magic doesn’t guarantee trophies alone. The spotlight is squarely on Butler to step up, to show the NBA just why he’s a game-changer. ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith isn’t shy about it either, slotting Butler fourth on his must-watch list for the 2025-26 campaign, right behind titans like Durant and Dončić. The stakes? Huge. With a Western Conference full of elite talent, the synergy between Butler and Curry isn’t just desirable—it’s crucial. If these two find their rhythm, fans might just witness some noise the league won’t forget anytime soon… LEARN MORE