Steve Kerr Issues Big Warning as Butler Illness Stuns Warriors
Steve Kerr delivered an unsettling pregame update Friday: Jimmy Butler fell sick the morning of Jan. 2 and was ruled out for the Warriors’ matchup with the Oklahoma City Thunder, unlikely even to be in the building. The absence compounds Golden State’s already thin availability — Stephen Curry is sidelined with an ankle injury and Draymond Green is on load management — leaving Kerr without his usual veteran core against a tough Thunder team.
Kerr said he had no new information on Jonathan Kuminga before tip-off; Kuminga was listed as questionable with a back issue but Kerr expressed hope he could play. Kerr also noted that bench players were unlikely to enter the game, signaling a depleted rotation for the contest. The forced short-handed lineup forced Kerr to consider more minutes for younger wings such as Will Richard, Moses Moody and Brandin Podziemski, though he made clear he would have preferred Butler’s defensive presence for this matchup.
The timing of Butler’s illness is notable because Kerr had leaned on him to shoulder more of the load when Curry and Green have been rested. Butler scored 19 points in Golden State’s recent 125–132 win over Charlotte, and Kerr has publicly described Butler as key to managing Curry’s minutes while still keeping the team competitive late in games. With both Curry and Green unavailable against OKC, Kerr was counting on Butler’s experience — a plan that was upended by the late-season illness.
Golden State’s decision to rest Curry and Green on the front end of a back-to-back — with an eye toward a more favorable matchup in Utah the following night — reflects the team’s current load-management approach. For now, Kerr must navigate a difficult night against the defending-contender Thunder without his top playmakers, while monitoring Butler’s recovery and Kuminga’s status before the next game. Only Draymond Green was confirmed as guaranteed for the subsequent matchup versus the Jazz.
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