Jimmy Butler Praised by Steph Curry, Draymond Green, Steve Kerr After Warriors' Debut

Golden State Warriors stars Stephen Curry and Draymond Green and head coach Steve Kerr were all enthusiastic about Jimmy Butler after he made his debut for the team.

Butler had 25 points, two rebounds, four assists, one steal and one block in 29 minutes on the floor in Saturday's 132-111 win over the Chicago Bulls.

Curry pointed out how much he and Butler differ with their offensive approaches, which could make Golden State even tougher to stop.

"He's like the exact opposite player of me, which is kind of funny," he said, per The Athletic's Anthony Slater. "I shot 16 threes. He shot one. He got to the free-throw line a lot, dominated the paint. I'm dominating the outside, the perimeter. Guys working around us. It has the potential to be really fun."

Green also called the six-time All-Star a "great target" for passes, with the prime example being this acrobatic layup in the fourth quarter.

"Put the ball in his area, he's gonna get it," Green said.

Curry said Butler was "like a receiver" on the lob from Green.

"That was ridiculous," he said.

Kerr, meanwhile, told reporters it's "pretty fun having Jimmy on our team." Beyond what's visible on the court, he emphasized the "confidence and presence" Butler brings to a roster that wasn't lacking in either already.

Butler's debut couldn't have gone much better. He filled out the stat sheet and helped the Warriors turn a 24-point deficit midway through the first half into a blowout victory.

As Kerr laid out, Saturday night exemplified why Golden State acquired the 35-year-old. Even against a rebuilding Bulls squad, it was impressive to see him hardly miss a beat after returning from what proved to be a seven-game suspension from the Miami Heat.

The Warriors play the Milwaukee Bucks, Dallas Mavericks and Houston Rockets before they head into the All-Star break. Going up against three straight playoff contenders will provide a better indication of whether their blockbuster addition has made them meaningfully better.