Stephen A. Smith sees a steep drop-off in the Warriors’ playoff outlook following Jimmy Butler’s season-ending ACL injury.Appearing on ESPN’s First Take, Smith was blunt in assessing what Butler’s absence means for Golden State.“Devastating,” Smith said. “I think it means they go home in the first round. That’s just what I see.” "Devastating. I think it means they go home in the first round."@stephenasmith reacts to Warriors forward Jimmy Butler suffering a torn ACL pic.twitter.com/MYrUf6g5ML — First Take (@FirstTake) January 20, 2026 Smith pointed to the ripple effects of losing Butler, who served as the Warriors’ secondary offensive option, and emphasized that the team now faces internal and on-court challenges that compound the issue.“[Butler] goes down, and that’s a problem because the person that you have to rely on now more so is Jonathan Kuminga, who Shams reported, the relationship with him and Steve Kerr is irreparable — it’s done,” Smith explained. The tension has played out publicly in recent weeks, with Kuminga becoming...