SAN FRANCISCO — It wasn’t part of the original plan, but the timing was impeccable.
There stood Andre Iguodala, receiving adulation from coaches, teammates and family members on the night that his No. 9 Golden State Warriors jersey was raised to the rafters at the Chase Center, just moments after the newest member of the organization, Jimmy Butler, made his home debut in a dominant 126-102 win over the Dallas Mavericks.
Iguodala, the 2015 NBA Finals MVP and the first of the Warriors’ unforgettable dynasty to receive the ultimate franchise honor. Butler, the man tasked with giving the remaining core one last shot at glory.
The similarities between the two players are both glaringly obvious — the ideal basketball size, the chiseled build, the powerful athleticism — and intriguingly subtle — the elite basketball IQ, the mastery of fundamentals, the charismatic leadership.
Warriors coach Steve Kerr often referred to Iguodala as “the babysitter,” someone who could rein in the glorious madness brought to the court by Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson. Even with Thompson now playing for Dallas, Butler is already proving himself as the same kind of counterweight.
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“That’s what Jimmy has really added to our team is this sense of calm,” Kerr said. “It really, frankly, complements the chaos of Steph and Dray. And I think that’s part of our strength as a team, is the chaos that Steph and Dray create. But if it’s not balanced, then it can be counterproductive. And so Jimmy is kind of balancing that out.”
On Sunday, Butler’s mere presence brought out an energy and optimism from the Chase Center crowd that’s been depressingly absent since the early weeks of the season when Golden State jumped out…
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