Warriors owner talks about Butler first: There were concerns about him, but he deserves every penny

On May 6, Beijing time, Warriors owner Lacob was interviewed by The Athletic and talked about the Warriors team and the just-concluded tiebreaker. Lacob admits he had concerns about Butler, but now believes he's worth the price. The Warriors owner's goal clearly goes beyond that, and he stressed that the team needs to win 12 more games.

After the victory, Butler walked past Lacob and did not say hello to the boss. "Jimmy!" Lacob shouted at Butler, and they hugged and shook hands. It's been nearly three months since Butler arrived with the Warriors, when Lacob wisely followed the advice of general manager Mike Dunleavy, who was convinced that the deal was worth the risk, and now it's finally time to speak out publicly for the first time.

"Sometimes you bet on the right treasure," he said with a smile, "and I want to say that." ”

If the Warriors don't make it past the first round, the conversation about Butler and him with the Warriors will be very different in the summer. Admittedly, he dominated the play-offs and helped the team beat the Memphis Grizzlies to avoid missing the playoffs, which is indeed commendable.

But Butler's original intention with the Warriors was to make the Golden State Warriors a real championship contender. Regardless of the outcome of the next game against the Timberwolves in the second round, it is indisputable that the Warriors are already in contention for a championship in Butler's first season.

That's why Lacob agreed to sign Butler to a two-year, $121 million contract. He turned a blind eye to the turmoil caused by Butler in Miami (and before that in Minnesota) and believes the Warriors' team culture can help the 35-year-old get back on track. As a result, the Warriors became the seventh No. 7 seed to eliminate the No. 2 seed since 1984, and Butler and Lacob celebrated a series win together for the first time, which meant a lot for the team's overall plan.

For Lacob, it doesn't matter that Butler isn't the brightest star in the seven-tiebreaker. Importantly — as Lacob acknowledged in his postgame talk — the Warriors found a balance between desperate wins and cautious decision-making, and the decision to bring in Butler has clearly paid off.

"Of course, there were concerns [about Butler]," Mr. Lacob said, "but you analyze the situation and make a choice, and there is a certain risk to it." But life is about taking risks. He's totally worth every penny, I'll just say it, he's fantastic. ”

"When I came, everybody's all focused, and it made me feel welcome," Butler said, "and then we went all the way...... We have never wavered, we have always been confident. It's a really good group of players and a great group of people. So, I'm going into the next round with that belief, we have the quality, we're playing at a very high level, and we can beat any opponent on any given night. ”

As Pacers coach Carlisle recently said, if Butler joins the Warriors at the start of the season and continues to be in great form, he will likely be in the MVP race. Now, the question for him and the Warriors is whether they can continue their winning streak against the Timberwolves, a Timberwolves with a deeper and more experienced Rockets.

"It felt great to beat the Rockets," Lacob said of the tiebreaker, "but we still need to win 12 more games." I just want to say this, I've won 4 games, and I have 12 games left. ”