Though hesitant at first, Stephen Curry soon realized he’d met his platonic soulmate. Arriving to the Golden State Warriors after a never-ending saga with Miami Heat, the expectation from Jimmy Butler was to revamp a roster desperate for results. And, boy, did he do that! In just four games, Dubs went from being ranked 27th in free throw attempts, 30th in free throw percentage to third in attempts and fifth in percentage. But perhaps the most benefited was Curry himself, which explains his inclination toward a new direction next season.

In an interview with RG.org last week, the point guard’s longtime trainer, Brandon Payne, was asked if their “emphasis on reading and reacting also partly has to do with Jimmy”. To this, Payne responded, “For sure. There is also a different element where Jimmy plays in spaces that other teammates may not have played in spaces. So it’s about being able to play off of a different type of spacing. That is going to be important for Steph. They got a little bit of that last year. They got a little bit of a feel for it. But it’s going to continue to get better as they play more games in the regular season.

“Steph will start to recognize where the opportunities are to play off of Jimmy and play in that mid-range area with his back to the basket a little bit. I think that is certainly something that can continue to get better,” the trainer then said, revealing the veteran’s new playmaking options. This comes after the 37-year-old saw an evident uptick in his production last season after his new teammate’s entry.

We’re talking about Curry going from 30+ points in the last two games before Butler (with below 40% from the field in each) and losing both, to recording over 50% efficiency in the next two games, both wins. “He’s like the exact opposite player of me, which is kind of funny,” Curry had said of his safety valve after the Warriors’ 132-111 road win over the Chicago Bulls in February.

Notably, before that game, the Warriors were making the fourth fewest free throws in the league (14.8 per game on average). However, that night, Butler alone drained 11 of 13, making franchise history for most free throws (11) in a Warriors debut. Safe to say that the 36-year-old’s physical driving and scoring abilities complemented Curry’s perimeter shooting affinity perfectly. In fact, for a team that lost -2.0 when Curry was off the floor at that point in the season, the former Heat star’s emergence saw Curry rest easy, too.

While fans were treated to a vintage Chef Curry performance in the third quarter—scoring 24 of his 34 points, making five 3-pointers and taking his team from trailing by 24 to leading by three—the real action came when he took the bench. In the fourth quarter, the 6x NBA All-Star expertly filled the gaps with 10 of his 25 points to seal the win. Pressuring the opponents’ defense while getting to the rim and free-throw line regularly, Butler also recorded four assists, two rebounds, one steal and one block. The Warriors ultimately concluded the regular season with a 23-7 record with the newly traded star on the floor.

“Opposites attract in life,” was how he had described his connection with Curry. “I don’t think I could be a better complement to him and vice versa. They’re not leaving him ever. I get the easy job. I’m playing 1-on-1 or in space.” So, one thing’s clear: The duo is surely going to turn heads next season, a small trailer of which we already got.

In mid-September, unsuspecting fans were treated with a visual delight: A more-than-ever jacked Curry who spent the offseason preparing for another title push. But how successful he will actually be with the revamped role and the intense workouts? Well, Payne is highly confident.

“We’ve really made a big effort to stay completely away from patterns in any shape or form this offseason and make everything a read and make everything a reaction. Even with his shooting, there has been a lot of reactive shooting,” he noted. If true, Curry can certainly be expected to move past his humble 61.6% true shooting percentage (which is high but still out of the Top-25 in the league) from last season.

However, while the superstar continues to hone his craft and learn new skills, there’s some off-the-court stuff bothering his close ones.

Jonathan Kuminga’s saga affects Stephen Curry’s family

Jonathan Kuminga’s ongoing standoff with the franchise is something no one in the Bay Area can escape from, not even Stephen Curry. Recently, Jake Fischer of the Stein Line reported that “Jonathan Kuminga and the Warriors have had no discussions about pushing back his deadline to accept the qualifying offer.” This means that not only will this cold war between the player and franchise continue, but it will also affect the team’s plans.

This includes several free agent deals the Dubs have been waiting to get past the line, all the way from Al Hoforf to De’Anthony Melton. Yet, the most noteworthy name on this list is that of Steph’s younger brother, Seth Curry. The 35-year-old is reportedly close to agreeing on a deal with the Warriors as a free agent. Last season, Seth produced great numbers playing for the Charlotte Hornets.

He averaged 6.5 points and 1.7 rebounds while leading the NBA last season with a 45.6 3-point shooting percentage. So, he could be a great addition to the Dubs, as they head into the season willing to rebound from last season’s embarrassment against Minnesota. But, until the front office resolves that, dreams of seeing the Curry brothers together on the court seem like a far-off dream.