Preview: Jimmy Butler’s revenge tour continues against Philly
HEEEEY PHILLY! HOPE YOU ENJOYED THAT SUPER BOWL!!!
The NBA’s most poetic revenge tour makes a painful stop in Philadelphia tomorrow as Jimmy Butler and the red-hot Golden State Warriors (32-27) roll into the City of Brotherless Love to witness firsthand the spectacular implosion of Joel Embiid’s 76ers (20-38).
Let’s talk about timing and irony, hoop fans. When the Sixers decided Jimmy Butler wasn’t worth keeping in 2019, they chose to build around Embiid’s towering presence instead of Butler’s two-way brilliance. Six years and zero conference finals appearances later, Butler is thriving as Golden State’s missing piece while the 76ers just announced Embiid will miss the remainder of the season with yet another knee injury.
Golden State Warriors at Philadelphia 76ers
When: March 1st, 2024 | 5:30 PM PT
TV: ABC
Radio: 95.7 The Game
The contrast couldn’t be more stark: Philadelphia bet everything on playing big in a league that’s been downsizing since Obama’s first term, while the Warriors continue evolving their small-ball revolution — now with Butler playing the perfect complement to Steph Curry’s gravitational pull.
Since acquiring Butler, Golden State has been absolutely humming with a 7-1 record, ranking 6th in offense, 2nd in defense, and 3rd in net rating. Meanwhile, the shattered remains of the Sixers have lost eight straight games and sit 12th in the Eastern Conference, looking less like a basketball team and more like an expensive medical experiment gone horribly wrong.
Embiid’s latest injury isn’t just another setback — it’s potentially career-altering. After multiple surgeries on the same meniscus yielded no lasting solution, medical experts consulted by ESPN suggest he might be facing radical options like meniscus transplants or bone realignment procedures that could stretch well into next season. The Sixers’ $248 million investment suddenly looks as stable as cryptocurrency in 2022.
Butler, meanwhile, has found basketball nirvana alongside Curry. Their partnership is exactly the kind of dynamic the Sixers once hoped for with Embiid — except it’s actually working. Butler’s averaging 18 points, 6 rebounds, 5.4 assists and 1.4 steals while shooting 45.8% since joining the Warriors, but his impact goes far beyond statistics.
“I really enjoy being in this locker room, being around these guys,” Butler said after a recent 36-point win over Charlotte. “It’s fun whenever I get to be myself every possession. On and off the floor. Life is good.”
This matchup will feature two franchises that couldn’t be on more divergent paths. Golden State’s championship core of Curry and Draymond Green are hunting their fifth ring together, now with Butler providing the offensive counterpunch they’ve lacked since Kevin Durant departed. Meanwhile, the Sixers are staring into the abyss of a potential rebuild despite committing $800 million to a trio — Embiid, Paul George and Tyrese Maxey — that’s played just 15 games together.
For Golden State, expect Butler to attack relentlessly against a Sixers defense that ranks near the bottom of the league without their defensive anchor.
When these teams tip off tomorrow, it won’t just be another February game — it’ll be a painful reminder for Philly fans of what could have been. While the Warriors are rediscovering championship habits with Butler in tow, the 76ers are left wondering if their Process will ever yield anything more than squandered potential and medical updates.