There’s a special kind of torture reserved for Golden State fans watching today’s game against Minnesota. Not the usual anxiety of a regular season matchup against a Western Conference contender, but something deeper. Something that cuts straight to the bone.
The Warriors face the Timberwolves today missing Jimmy Butler, who tore his ACL on Monday. Last spring, when these teams met in the playoffs, Golden State was missing Steph Curry, who suffered a Grade 1 hamstring strain in Game 1 of their second-round
series. The Wolves won four straight games while Curry sat, ending what could have been a magical run after the Warriors upset the 2-seed Houston Rockets in seven games.
Do you see the cruel symmetry here? The universe has decided that Curry and Butler can’t both be healthy against Minnesota. Pick one. Never both.
This is the nightmare Dub Nation has been living since February 2025, when Mike Dunleavy traded for Butler and signed him to a two-year extension. The move was supposed to give Curry one last legitimate co-star, one final push at extending the dynasty’s championship window. And for a glorious stretch, it worked. The Warriors went 23-7 with Butler in the lineup down the stretch last season. They looked dangerous. They looked like a team that could make noise in the playoffs.
Then Curry went down in Game 1 against the Wolves, and Butler had to carry the load alone. He tried. God knows he tried. But asking a 36-year-old to single-handedly will a team past a hungry Minnesota squad featuring Anthony Edwards at the peak of his powers was asking too much. Now the roles are reversed. Butler’s out for the season. Curry, who turns 38 in March, is alone again. And the opponent? The same damn Timberwolves who eliminated them last spring.
The pain in the Bay Area isn’t just about losing games. It’s about watching a window slam shut in slow motion. These two superstars finally found each other at this stage of their careers, bringing complementary skills and championship DNA to Chase Center. But they’ve barely played meaningful basketball together when both are healthy and locked in. Injuries keep stealing what little time they have left.
Today’s game against Minnesota should serve as a mirror for the Timberwolves themselves. Yes, they’ve got Anthony Edwards ascending into superstardom. Julius Randle definitely provides legitimate secondary scoring. They’re clearly positioned to compete in the West for years to come. But talent means nothing if you can’t stay healthy long enough to capitalize on it.
The Wolves should watch what’s happening to Golden State with the clarity of a cautionary tale. This Warriors team has two future Hall of Famers, championship experience, and organizational stability. None of it matters when your stars can’t share the court during the games that count. One freak injury, one awkward landing, one hamstring that won’t cooperate, and your entire window evaporates.
Minnesota has their own fragile window. Edwards is 24 and indestructible until he’s not. Randle has battled injuries throughout his career. Rudy Gobert is 33. These moments are fleeting in the NBA, even when you think you’ve built something sustainable. The Warriors learned this lesson the hard way. Today, Curry will take the court at Target Center carrying the weight of back-to-back seasons defined by injuries at the worst possible moments. He’ll face the franchise that eliminated his team when Butler couldn’t save them alone. Now Butler can’t help him.
This is what the end of a dynasty can look like. Not a dramatic collapse or a roster teardown, but a series of cruel coincidences that prevent greatness from manifesting one final time. The talent is there. The will is there. But the health? The universe has decided that’s asking too much.
Today’s game won’t change Golden State’s trajectory. But it could be a tough watch without Butler on the floor.
