The Golden State Warriors are close to securing their spot in the NBA playoffs. In this context, Jimmy Butler made an admission about his physical condition.

© Elsa/Getty ImagesJimmy Butler III #10 of the Golden State Warriors looks on during a free throw against the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center.

Over the past two months, the Golden State Warriors have elevated their level of play and emerged as title contenders. A key part of that improvement has been Jimmy Butler, who, since his arrival from Miami, has given the team a major boost. However, the forward has now made a concerning admission regarding his physical condition ahead of the playoffs.

“Everybody’s banged up this time of year,” Butler acknowledged after the Warriors’ victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday night, during an interview shared by reporter Anthony Slater on his X account.

Jimmy finished the game against the Lakers with a discomfort in his left forearm. When asked about his own physical issues, he was candid.

 “It’s part of the game, getting nicked up a little bit,” he said, downplaying the injury. But he then admitted: “I hope that I’m gonna be alright, we’ll see.”

When asked if he had undergone any medical tests to understand the cause of his pain, the six-time NBA All-Star replied: “No. We all were really focused on doing this one, so we tried to keep the main thing the main thing and just focus on this one.” Later, when asked if he would need to undergo those tests, he was less certain: “Maybe, probably. I hope not.”

Jimmy Butler III #10 and Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors during a game against the Dallas Mavericks on February 23, 2025.

However, Butler made it clear that none of these issues are unusual for NBA players as the season reaches its final stretch. He pointed to Stephen Curry as an example. “You see Steph banged up, he’s going out there and doing it… So you gotta lock in and want it.”

Warriors need their key players healthy

Despite the incredible run the Golden State Warriors have had in recent weeks, which has allowed them to climb several spots in the Western Conference standings, they still do not have a guaranteed playoff spot and will need to fight for it.

Although they are currently in fifth place, they have only a half-game advantage over the seventh-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves.

This makes every game until the end of the regular season crucial for them. With that in mind, their next target is another showdown against a direct rival: the Denver Nuggets. The two teams will face off on Friday night at Chase Center.

Given the physical effort the Warriors put in against the Lakers and the short turnaround before their next game, Steve Kerr was asked whether he planned to put all his stars back on the court against the Nuggets. “Oh, yeah,” the coach responded, according to Anthony Slater.