The Golden State Warriors have found renewed momentum by reshaping their rotation around veteran forward Jimmy Butler and the second unit.
Since head coach Steve Kerr increased Butler’s minutes with the reserves, Golden State has gone 8–3, with those lineups consistently winning their stretches while Stephen Curry and Draymond Green are off the floor.
That impact was clear against the Sacramento Kings, when small forward led a group of four bench players on a 13–0 run in the third quarter that swung the game in the Warriors’ favor.
Teammates such as De’Anthony Melton have highlighted how Butler’s command of spacing, timing, and matchups simplifies the offense and creates high-quality looks.
Kerr has noted that Butler naturally plays more aggressively in those situations, often taking control rather than deferring, as he tends to do when sharing the floor with Curry.
The result has been a second unit that plays with structure and confidence, giving Golden State a reliable edge during non-starter minutes.
ICYMI: Jimmy Butler‘s work with the second unit has sparked the Warriors to an 8-3 record over their last 11 games. That + more on the Warriors. https://t.co/t6clMsJMMz
— Hoops Rumors (@HoopsRumors) January 11, 2026
