It's been eight months since Jimmy Butler tore his ACL during the Golden State Warriors' Jan. 19 matchup against the Miami Heat. Since then, Butler has been focused on rehabbing his injury and ensuring that he can play at a high level once he's eventually cleared to return to the court. While Butler's return is still several months away, it appears that he's progressing well.
During the Warriors media day on Monday, Sept. 28, Butler showcased his usual self-confidence when asked about his progress, promising that he'll be back on the court this season. Furthermore, he also stressed that people will probably be surprised by the level he reaches once he's back in Steve Kerr's rotation.
“I promise you I’m coming back,” Butler said. “I think it’s
going to be, like, real eye-popping for everybody how I’m still going to be nice. Probably nicer, honestly. My numbers are staggering. They’re off the charts. I’m ahead, so they say. So I just know that all the work that I’ve been doing, whether it be at home, in L.A., in Europe, in South America, wherever the case may be, I’ve been doing all the right things just the way everybody has asked me to do it."
Butler then continued by reiterating his belief that he'll be operating at an elite level once he's on the court.
"So I am confident that whenever I come back, I’ll be more than ready, I’ll be more than healthy, and I’ll be a better player, an all-around player, than I was whenever I went down.” Butler, 37, could emerge as a genuine swing factor for the Warriors next season. If he can reach a borderline All-Star level of play, while plugging a gap in the forward rotation, Golden State will certainly feel the benefit of his eventual return. For now, though, Kerr and his coaching staff must navigate Butler's absence, and that means relying on some of the younger talent on the roster.
Fortunately for Golden State, multiple younger members of the roster appear ready, and willing, to step up.
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This article originally appeared on Warriors Wire: Warriors' makes bold promise about his return from ACL injury
