Jimmy Butler’s ability to control the tempo of a game and get to the free throw line has bolstered Golden State’s offense.

Jimmy Butler making instant impact on Warriors defense

Since Butler’s arrival, the Warriors rank sixth in offensive rating (120.2) and fourth in assists (31.2) with a 4-1 record and a plus 12.4 net rating. Suffice it to say, their offense is clicking on all cylinders.

But Butler has made an even bigger impact on Golden State’s defense. During Friday’s 132-108 win over the Kings, Butler played power forward in a small-ball lineup next to Draymond Green, excelling at guarding both bigs and wings.

In one particular sequence, as seen below, he shut down Zach LaVine and Domantas Sabonis to force a shot clock violation, showing off his ability to switch on the pick-and-roll expertly.

Butler’s ability to guard one through five has given Kerr the luxury of sticking with smaller lineups, a huge boost for a team with an unproven center rotation of Trayce Jackson-Davis, Kevon Looney and Gui Santos.

Furthermore, the Warriors may have unlocked something Friday by starting Moses Moody and Brandin Podziemski on the wings, two players with positional size next to Stephen Curry.

After Friday’s win, Kerr admitted that an unconventional frontcourt of Green and Butler gives his team its best defensive lineup.

“I think it’s the best two-way starting group we can put on the floor,” Kerr said via The Athletic’s Anthony Slater. “You get Moses’ shooting, you get BP’s playmaking to go with Steph and Jimmy. Then Draymond and Jimmy at the five and four defensively behind the play. We lack size, but we have a lot of brainpower back there.”

The small-ball strategy may not work against bigger teams like the Nuggets or Thunder but could prove effective against the Rockets, Grizzlies or Lakers in a seven-game playoff series.

It also helps that Butler and Green have bought into the strategy and expect to remain Golden State’s frontcourt through the rest of the season.

“I like it,” Butler said of starting at power forward. “I do. You’ve just got some feisty individuals out there that’s fighting, scrapping on both sides of the ball, sharing the ball, scoring, getting stops. Small or not, we’re getting it done.”

Butler is more than “getting it done” as a Warrior, becoming the fastest to aggregate 100+ points, 25+ rebounds and 25+ assists in franchise history.

Butler has averaged 20.4 points, 6.2 rebounds and 5.6 assists through five games. The Warriors are +28 with him on the floor.