Draymond Green Hypes 'Franchise Changer' Jimmy Butler After Warriors Beat Rockets

The early returns for the Golden State Warriors with Jimmy Butler are very positive after Thursday's 105-98 victory over the Houston Rockets improved their record to 3-1 when the six-time All-Star has been in the lineup.

Speaking to reporters after the win, Draymond Green described Butler as a "franchise changer" for the Warriors.

"He's done that everywhere he's gone and he is helping revitalize what we got here," Green said. "The belief amongst this team, now that he's arrived, as opposed to what it was before he got here, it's night and day."

The Warriors looked like they were going to cruise to victory when they took an 81-57 lead midway through the third quarter. The Rockets got the deficit down to two with 7:29 remaining in the fourth quarter.

Butler, Green and Stephen Curry helped Golden State fight off the charge, though. They combined for 17 of the Warriors' 23 points in the final period, including 12 straight points to close the frame.

Curry has been on a heater lately with 31.0 points, 5.3 assists and 5.0 rebounds in the four games he's played with Butler.

The impact Butler has had on the Warriors has been easy to measure. He's averaging 21.3 points, 7.0 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game in four starts.

Even though it's still a small sample size, the six-time All-Star has a history of elevating his game when he's properly motivated. Based on how his tenure with the Miami Heat ended, it's safe to assume he wants to send a message to the rest of the NBA.

The Warriors (28-27) still have work to do if they want to get out of the play-in tournament mix. They are currently the No. 10 seed and are 3.5 games behind the Los Angeles Clippers (31-23) for the sixth spot in the Western Conference heading into the All-Star break.