Jimmy Butler hasn’t been with the Warriors long but he knows that this defensive effort isn’t cutting it.
The polarizing star ripped Golden State for its defense following a 131-127 home loss to the Trail Blazers on Friday night, a third straight setback that dropped the team to 9-9.
The Warriors are tied with the Knicks for the 11th-fewest points allowed in the league at 114.9 per game, but they’ve allowed at least 120 points twice in this losing streak and three times in a six-game span.
“We’re just not guarding nobody,” Butler said. “From what I can tell, I haven’t been here long, but that’s never been the formula here, not to win a championship. You got to take each and every matchup personal. Yeah, help is gonna be there but we got to do way better guarding on the ball.”
Jimmy Butler: “We’re just not guarding nobody. From what I can tell, I haven’t been here long, but that’s never been the formula here.”
“I’m always optimistic. But I’m also honest.” pic.twitter.com/2IU2NZUXwe
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) November 22, 2025
The Warriors entered this year with championship aspirations, as they do most years, but the results have not been there as the season nears the quarter pole.
Last season, when Butler joined the team in a galvanising mid-year trade, Golden State ranked seventh in defensive rating, per NBA.com.
The Warriors have slipped to 10th this season.
Though Golden State is not near the bottom of the league in terms of points allowed, it has surrendered at least 120 points in half of its games thus far.
Jimmy Butler is not pleased with Golden State’s defense. NBAE via Getty Images
In Friday’s loss, the Warriors allowed Portland to shoot 48 percent from the field and lost the rebounding battle, 52-32.
Butler said the Trail Blazers were “getting every shot they wanted.”
Four Portland players had at least 20 points, with Caleb Love and Deni Avdija each tallying 26.
Caleb Love scored a team-high 26 points Friday. AP
“I’m always optimistic, but I’m also honest. I’m a truth-teller,” Butler said after scoring 20 points. “We can beat individuals on some nights whenever we’re scoring the basketball, we can’t always bank on shots going in for whatever reason why. You always have to be able to guard and until we get back to guarding and taking people scoring on us personally, we’ll be in some funk for a while. I think we can snap out of it.”
Golden State has a golden chance to get right defensively in its next game Monday against the lowly Jazz.
Butler added that he and defensive stalwart Draymond Green are taking the defensive lapses personally.
“I do. I know for a fact he does. He be livid,” Butler said. “He could care less about who makes what shot. He wants to get a stop every play down the floor, as he should.”