After an amazing and historic five-year stretch, the Golden State Warriors were practically unrecognizable for the past few seasons, failing to even make the playoffs since their 2019 Finals appearance.
But, this season, they’ve played with the same fire they had during the height of their powers years ago, and it’s all been without two key players in Klay Thompson and James Wiseman.
At 14-2, they boast the league’s best record and look to be the best team in the entire NBA at the moment.
For ‘The Ringer’ CEO and basketball analyst Bill Simmons, the moment he knew the Warriors were back was during their dominating win against the Nets.
“Here’s when I knew. The end of the Brooklyn game,” Simmons said via NBC Sports. “Not the Brooklyn game, because you can go in and beat anybody. Their ‘f–k you’ came back in the Brooklyn game. They kept [Steph] Curry in for the extra two minutes so that he can get the ninth three, and I was like ‘oh, we’re at this stage already. The ‘f–k you’ Warriors are back.’ I just thought they were good.”
The Dubs are once again at the top of the basketball world, and appear to be stronger and better than ever before.
Head coach Steve Kerr noticed it weeks ago, when he said this about his squad:
“This is how it should be for the Warriors with Steph Curry and Draymond Green leading the way,” Kerr said. “This is how it should feel. I think it felt this way the last 20 games of last year. The joy from the crowd. It just feels right.
We’ve got a team that looks after each other, it’s a deep team,” the coach continued. “There’s a lot of weapons, a lot of different options for us as a coaching staff. And a group that’s really unselfish and connected.
It’s too early to say for certain if these Warriors are primed for a deep postseason run.
But, for now, all we can do is appreciate the greatness they’re performing now, before our very eyes.