Mavs-Warriors preview: Butler undefeated with new team

The team Jimmy Butler plays for and the one he used to be with will be visiting American Airlines Center on back-to-back nights, starting Wednesday.

And that’s the same Jimmy Butler that already has tormented the Mavericks once this season when he was with the Miami Heat. They come to Dallas on Thursday.

But first, it’s the Golden State Warriors, who traded for Butler just before the deadline on Feb. 6 with the hope that they can get a big dose of “playoff Jimmy.”

Never mind that the Warriors are not much different from the Mavericks. Right now, the goal for both teams is simply to make the playoffs and worry about success in the postseason when you get there.

The Warriors are flirting with .500, just like the Mavericks. And both teams made blockbuster moves before the trade deadline.

Golden State gave up Andrew Wiggins, Kyle Anderson, a protected first-round pick and had to fork over a two-year, $100-million-plus contract extension to get Butler.

He’s put on his best face since the deal happened and Butler has proven over and over that his best face is something any NBA team would want on their side.

In two games with the Warriors so far, he’s averaged 22.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, 5 assists and 2.5 steals. Golden State is 2-0 with him. The Warriors started this season-long six-game trip (which actually goes to seven games with one at Sacramento after the All-Star break) with losses at Utah and the Los Angeles Lakers. Then, after getting Butler, they won at Milwaukee and Chicago. It ends Thursday in Houston.

The Mavericks already this season have felt the daggers Butler can throw. He broke the Mavericks’ hearts in November with 33 points, nine rebounds and six assists when the Heat beat Dallas in overtime in Florida. It was Butler’s dunk in the waning seconds that forced overtime, in which he had three points and an assist and the Heat won 123-118.

While the Warriors will look much different than in the past with Butler, the Mavericks have enough to worry about when it comes to looking in the mirror.

What they see in the reflection is constantly changing. Players are dropping, and fast. Daniel Gafford was the latest on Monday when he clutched his left knee on the court after banging into Sacramento’s Malik Monk. He’s out against the Warriors, along with many more Mavericks.

The Mavericks have no choice but to press on. The trade deadline is long gone. There are no centers or other big men growing on trees out there.

“The games keep coming,” coach Jason Kidd said. “No one feels sorry for us. That’s just the way the league is. For us to pout or take our ball and go home, it doesn’t work in this league. You got to fight.

“This group is fighting. The group in that locker room has character. We’re being tested right now. We have to keep the energy and effort.”

Luckily, or maybe not, fighting through adversity is nothing new for this team.

“We’ve been shorthanded since training camp,” Kidd said. “That’s the truth. (Dante) Exum’s been out since the first day of training camp. So was Luka (Doncic). No one’s complained. We suit up and play, find a way to win. Or we lose and move on. We’ve been faced with this since Day One and I think we know how to handle it and that’s what we’re doing.”

Here’s what else to watch for when Golden State visits Wednesday:

• The Mavericks’ injury list is long and there is probably no team in the league that needs the All-Star break more. Dereck Lively II (right ankle stress fracture), Dwight Powell (right hip), Caleb Martin (right hip) and Anthony Davis (left adductor strain) are all out. That’s all in addition to Gafford. On the bright side, P.J. Washington (ankle sprain) has been upgraded to questionable with a sprained ankle and Dante Exum (Achilles tightness) also is questionable.
• For the Warriors, big man Jonathan Kuminga (sprained right ankle) is out.
• Max Christie so far has been the best thing that’s happened to the Mavericks this season. The 6-6 swingman turned 22 on Monday and has scored at least 15 points in all four games he’s played for the Mavericks since being included in the trade for Davis. He’s coming off a 15-point, four-rebound, three-assist, two-steal, one-block effort in the 129-128 overtime loss to Sacramento on Monday. He’s averaging 17 points, 5.3 rebounds and three assists.
• Kyrie Irving, fresh off being named to the Western Conference All-Star team, had 30 points, nine rebounds and seven assists against the Kings on Monday. The Mavericks are going to need more of that, but it would surprise nobody if he was rested on one of these games. The workload after 44 minutes in the overtime game on Monday is getting pretty heavy.
• The Warriors, of course, are led by Steph Curry, who is coming off a terrific showing in Milwaukee, when he poured in 38 points in the 125-111 win over the Bucks, who played without Giannis Antetokounmpo. Curry is averaging 23.3 points and 6.1 assists while hitting 39.2 percent of his three-pointers.
• The Mavericks will have to go small without any true veteran centers who are healthy. The only big man is rookie Kylor Kelley, who is on a two-way contract. The Mavericks could use Kessler Edwards, O-Max Prosper or Naji Marshall in the middle, but expect them to run and speed the tempo since they will have to rely heavily on small-ball.

GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS (27-26) at DALLAS MAVERICKS (28-26)

WHEN: 8:30 p.m. Wednesday.

WHERE: American Airlines Center, Dallas.

TV: KFAA 29, MAVS TVSTREAM, ESPN.

RADIO: KEGL 97.1 FM, 99.1 FM Zona MX (Spanish)

X: @ESefko