With Butler handling facilitating duties, Curry has been able to focus on what he does best: Wreaking havoc as an off-ball movement shooter. The latter runs around the court like a madman, and defenses must account for his otherworldly shooting prowess -- at all times.

As soon as Jimmy Butler arrived at Golden State, he made sure that the soap opera from his trade request and suspensions with the Miami Heat wouldn’t hang over him like a San Francisco morning

They have now won five in a row, the latest victory behind a Butler triple-double over the Portland Trail Blazers.