Hope. Sometimes, that’s all you need to make it to the top. And the Jimmy Butler trade has given the Warriors exactly that. Since adding him to the roster, they have won five of their six games and climbed to the ninth seed in the West. Only one win separates them and the sixth-seeded Clippers, who suffered a blowout 106-97 loss to the Pistons last night and put the Bay Area team back in the playoff picture. But one man stands in the way, making Stephen Curry and Co.’s life difficult…

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…Anthony Edwards.

While the Warriors continue to gain momentum, Ant-Man is also on a run of his own and has kept the Timberwolves glued to the seventh spot. Even last night, he brought the Minnesota franchise out of a massive hole as they trailed by 22 points heading into the final quarter against the mighty OKC Thunder. But just when a loss seemed inevitable, Edwards willed his team to a massive fourth-quarter comeback and led them to a three-point victory in overtime. He finished by racking 17 points, 8 assists and 13 rebounds. What’s more?

Edwards’ three-point efficiency is making even the strongest look weak. Out of 43 players this season with 300 three-point attempts, the 23-year-old tops the list with 548. As per the Wolves’ Radio Play-By-Play Announcer Alan Horton on X, “#1 in volume, #2 in efficiency. Anthony Edwards Pull-Up 3’s. 400 3PTA — #1 NBA (+37 > #2 Jayson Tatum) 41.5% 3PT% — #2 NBA (~31 players w/ 150+ att) Last 11 seasons of player tracking data, Steph Curry 2x) & Damian Lillard are only 2 players to have 400+ att & shoot 40+%.” Well, the Warriors surely have a reason to be worried.

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Having said that, the Wolves just locked in their 32nd win, pulling two games ahead of the Warriors and holding their ground in the standings. But here’s where things get wild—the race for the sixth to ninth seed is a complete toss-up.

Four teams are crammed together, separated by just two wins. The Clippers are clinging to sixth, the Mavs are sitting in eighth, and everything in between is up for grabs. But if Anthony Edwards and Co. continue to beat the top teams like they did last night, the Warriors might not be able to overtake them even if they play well.

However, Steve Kerr seems to have tremendous faith in his roster, especiallywho he believes has found a new life since the Butler trade. Addressing Curry’s rejuvenated form, the head coach said on The Willard & Dibs Show, “Yeah, I see the same thing and I think he has expressed that many times to the media. He just wants to play meaningful basketball and I love that. I think it’s a great phrase because it’s humble, but it’s also hopeful. And he’s basically telling everybody that, ‘Give us a chance, because we have a shot and we’re gonna make the most of it’.”

Stephen Curry, on the other hand, has always been confident but resilient. Even when his team was downright getting wasted with a 16-16 record, the veteran had said, “I think we understand that better days can be ahead. We’re not in that big of a hole in the Western Conference, if you look at the standings. Go on a five- or six-game run—to us that sounds like a lot—but it’s the numbers, you can make up a lot of ground pretty quickly. Tough task, but that fine line between losing hope and confidence and understanding that with one good week you’re kinda back in it, that’s where we are.” And then there’s Draymond Green whose sky-high ambitions look they can topple the Ant-Man and his lab!

Ahead of the 2025 NBA All-Star Game at Chase Center, the 34-year-old had said, “Since [Butler has] been here, we’ve walked into every game thinking and believing that we’re going to win that game…But you walk in the game like, ‘Ah man, we’re probably going to lose this game,’ it’s not good. So he’s brought back that belief, and I think we’re going to win the championship.” However, later, he also corrected himself saying…

“I’m sorry, I said I think we’re going to win a championship, but I lied. We are going to win the championship.”

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Moreover, Kerr is aware of how far his team needs to go to achieve their goal.

Kerr is keeping track of the scoreboard as he credits Warriors management for Jimmy Butler trade

Since partnering with Butler, the Warriors’ offense has looked far more organized and efficient. Sure enough, Kerr credits the front office for it, “I think the trade has given us a chance. Steph feels that. Our fans feel it. We needed a shake up and it was the right deal at the right time. Jimmy just happened to be available and Mike Dunleavy did a great job of making it happen.” Although many initially doubted Jimmy’s fit with the team, he has adjusted brilliantly to Kerr’s system, averaging 20 points and nearly six rebounds.

This has given the Warrior the belief that they can reach the mountaintop once again. Of course, there is still a long way to go before that happens and turns out, Kerr is keeping constant track of the league standings as Anthony Edwards and other stars threaten their playoff push. When asked if he was watching the scoreboard, he revealed, “Every day… Trust me, I’ve been watching.”

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Well, the goal is clear for the Warriors and their only focus is to stay healthy and continue the impressive run they have been on recently. Do you think they can make a legitimate title run with Jimmy on their side?

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