Steve Kerr Addresses How Jimmy Butler’s Injury Impacts Steph Curry

The Golden State Warriors are still trying to figure out their path forward after losing Jimmy Butler to a season-ending torn ACL on January 19.

The six-time All-Star went down in the third quarter of what ended up being a 135-112 win over the Miami Heat, and the team has been searching for answers ever since.

Butler landed awkwardly after catching a pass in the paint following contact with Miami's Davion Mitchell, and the 36-year-old now faces a long road to recovery.

After the Warriors' most recent loss to the Detroit Pistons, head coach Steve Kerr was blunt about how Butler's absence has affected his star guard and the team's overall approach.

"It definitely puts a lot more stress on Steph's shoulders not having Jimmy next to him to create shots, to take over the offense when needed," Kerr said. "So, we have to account for that. We're trying to do that with our lineup conversations but we're also thinking about alternative ways to attack."

Kerr's comments come as the Warriors sit at 27-23 on the season, good for eighth place in the Western Conference standings.

The team has gone just 2-4 since Butler's injury, and the challenge of replacing his production has been clear on both ends of the floor.

Before going down, Butler was averaging 20.0 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 4.9 assists on the season while shooting an efficient 51.9 percent from the field.

The numbers tell the story of just how much Golden State relied on their dynamic duo.

With Butler healthy, the Warriors had won 12 of 16 games and were starting to look like a team capable of making some noise in the playoffs.

Now, Stephen Curry finds himself as the primary focus of every opposing defense, and Kerr has noticed that his 37-year-old superstar is being forced to play longer stretches without the usual rest he received when Butler could take over.

Curry is averaging 27.3 points per game this season, ranking him 10th in the NBA, but the wear and tear is starting to show.

He left Friday's game against the Pistons with right knee soreness and was diagnosed with patellofemoral pain syndrome, sometimes called "Runner's Knee."

The condition had already kept him out of a game against the Timberwolves earlier in the week, and the Warriors are now being careful with his workload heading into the All-Star break.

"The knee last night was the same thing that kept him out of the Minnesota game last week," Kerr said on Saturday. "I would imagine it's something that we have to really monitor here, especially before the All-Star break, where we've got to see if he can take on his usual workload, or does he need to miss a game here or there."

The situation puts the Warriors in a tough spot with the trade deadline approaching on February 5.

General manager Mike Dunleavy has said the team does not plan to trade Butler's contract despite the injury, expressing confidence that Butler can give them a boost next season the way he did when he first arrived last February.

In the meantime, Kerr and his staff are left trying to piece together a rotation that can support Curry without running him into the ground.

The Warriors acquired Butler at last year's deadline in hopes of giving Curry one more realistic shot at a fifth championship.

The duo went 23-7 together down the stretch and advanced to the second round of the playoffs before Curry went down with a hamstring injury.

Now, those championship hopes are all but gone for this season, and Golden State must focus on staying competitive while keeping their franchise cornerstone healthy.

"He's playing longer stretches," Kerr admitted. "Some of that by design, some of it just because subs couldn't get in for a couple of minutes."

The Warriors will need other players to step up if they want to take some of the pressure off Curry's shoulders and stay in the playoff hunt without their second star.