The Warriors seem destined for greatness after winning seven of their first eight games with recently acquired six-time NBA All-Star forward Jimmy Butler.

Golden State’s resurgence has led many analysts to switch their stance toward the franchise, with the latest being a retired league veteran who had his fair share of run-ins with the dynastic, Steph Curry-led Warriors.

Former 17-year NBA veteran Rudy Gay said on Friday’s edition of ESPN’s “Get Up” that Golden State can make a serious run during the upcoming playoffs.

“Yes, I do,” Gay said about believing the Warriors can reach the Western Conference finals. “I think this is a possibility for them.”

.@rudygay believes that Steph Curry and Jimmy Butler can lead the Warriors to the Western Conference Finals 👀 pic.twitter.com/Q7sl2mqAno

— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) February 28, 2025

Gay would know.

He finished his career 20-31 against Golden State and, with the San Antonio Spurs, was eliminated by the Warriors, 4-1, in the first round of the 2018 Western Conference Playoffs.

Gay has liked what he’s seen from the Warriors since their blockbuster trade for Butler. As reflected by Curry’s 56-point flurry in Golden State’s 121-116 win over the Orlando Magic, the superstar guard gets to be himself, while Butler supports Draymond Green, Brandin Podziemski and the rest of the Warriors’ depth in filling in the blanks. In particular, Gay is very intrigued by Golden State’s new-look defense.

“Basically, what Jimmy does is give them flexibility defensively,” Gay said. “And it takes a lot of pressure off Steph, just to be Steph. You have Draymond, who is one of the league’s best defenders and has been for a long time. It just allows Steph to be Steph and Jimmy can also give you offensive power. [He’s] a person that can draw double teams and also pass out of them.”

Butler simultaneously provides the Warriors with another intense defender like Green and a formidable second offensive option next to Curry. Players like that don’t grow on trees and perfectly fit Golden State’s mold.

Gay believes the Warriors’ apparent re-opening of their contention window isn’t an anomaly; instead, he is confident it marks the beginning of what potentially can be a deep, deep playoff run for the Warriors.

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