Warriors prepare to go forward without Jimmy Butler after season-ending right knee injury

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SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Steve Kerr and the Golden State Warriors are still coming to terms with how dramatically their season changes after Jimmy Butler's season-ending right knee injury and how they must depend on their depth going forward without the do-everything guard.

An MRI exam late Monday after the injury revealed Butler tore the ACL in his right knee during the third quarter of a 135-112 victory earlier in the night against his former Miami team and will need surgery. He landed awkwardly moments after catching a pass in the paint following a collision with the Heat’s Davion Mitchell.

The 36-year-old Butler’s surgery date hadn't been set.

“Well, most of all just disappointed for Jimmy. He's having a great year. I felt like the last couple weeks he was really at the top of his game,” Kerr said before a home game against Toronto on Tuesday. “So for him and for us obviously, for him individually, in the middle of a really great season with a lot of possibilities, a lot of excitement with the team the way was playing, I just feel terrible for him that he's going to miss the rest of the year. It's part of the game, I know, injuries are a part of it, but it hurts for sure.”

Butler’s knee buckled upon his landing and he screamed, grimaced and grabbed at his knee while down for a couple of minutes. He needed teammates Gary Payton II and Buddy Hield to escort him off the court to the locker room after the fall on the Warriors’ offensive end. When he finally got up with assistance, he was unable to put any pressure on his knee.

In just under 21 minutes, Butler had 17 points on 6-for-11 shooting, four assists and three rebounds. He was Golden State’s second-leading scorer this season behind Stephen Curry, having averaged 20 points, 5.6 rebounds and 4.9 assists.

The team had yet to discuss the loss of Butler as a group because “everybody got the news after we dispersed last night,” Kerr said.

“You just look at it matter-of-factly. We get it, this is part of the NBA, part of sports,” Kerr said. “I’m not going to spend a whole lot of time analyzing where we are in the food chain of the NBA, I’m going to focus on what we can do to win tonight and win the next game. We have a good vibe going, we have a really good rhythm, we’ve found I think a pattern of connecting the game offensively and defensively. I think we can continue to do those things and win games. And if we do that we build confidence, we build momentum and keep going.”

Golden State had won four straight games and 12 of 16 going into the final game of its eight-game homestand. But the Warriors are only eighth in the Western Conference, leaving them work to do just to make the playoffs in Butler's absence.

Kerr plans to experiment with rotations and said Jonathan Kuminga “could be” part of the mix despite not playing in more than a month — 16 straight games since Dec. 18 and 19 of 20 overall. He believes Kuminga wants to play and be part of the team despite his recent request for a trade and all of the speculation about him being dealt before the deadline Feb. 5.

“He's been over four years so we’re comfortable with what he can do and how he might fit in,” Kerr said.

General manager Mike Dunleavy said the timing of the injury allows the organization to consider options ahead of the deadline, sharing that “nothing's imminent” as far as trading Kuminga.

Dunleavy called it a "tough 24 hours here” seeing Butler go down — but the hope is he could return at some point around this time next season.

“He has meant so much to this organization since he got here. It's hard to believe he hasn't even been here a year, he's fit in so well,” Dunleavy said. "You hate it for him. The beat goes on, you've got to keep going and I think our team’s playing really good. We’ve been playing some good basketball. That’s the bright spot here. I don’t have a positive twist on the news, it’s not good. ACL injuries are not things that you can be positive about, but this will all come out well in the end and we’ll move forward.”

Kerr expects Al Horford and De'Anthony Melton will continue to play key roles.

“I think we have enough to compete. I think Al and Melt have given us a different dynamic, I think a lot of our young players — Quinten (Post), Will Richard — those guys are ready to contribute, they have contributed,” Kerr said. “We've got depth so we can keep this thing going. Obviously we will miss Jimmy. He's one of the best players in the league, you can't minimize that, trivialize it, but you play with who you have and I like who we have.”

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