After dominating the league for half a decade, the Golden State Warriors faced a lot of issues in the last two seasons. Kevin Durant left the team, Klay Thompson was injured for two seasons, Stephen Curry was sidelined for almost a year, and Draymond Green’s form declined.
As a result, the Warriors failed to make it to the playoffs for back-to-back years. Well, in the 2021-22 NBA season, things finally went in the Dubs’ way as they finished with a record of 53-29 and clinched the third seed in the Western Conference.
But the job is still far from over for the Warriors. They still have to prove themselves in the playoffs and the pressure on Steph and co. is at an all-time high. So much so that in a recent interview Curry said he believes no one thinks the Warriors are coming out of the Western Conference.
Via ESPN:
“Nobody is picking us to win, to come out of the West, at least I don’t think, except our families. Which is fine. It’s just a matter of you’ve got to win four games, and in order to do that, we have a certain game plan we are going to try and execute on Saturday … and we understand every game takes on a new life of its own.”
With the playoffs right around the corner and Curry recovering from an injury, it has played a crucial part in the expectations being low from the Dubs. The Warriors’ head coach further added to Steph’s point as he explained:
“I think four years ago … I am expecting to win a championship. But we are a different team now. I don’t have any expectations. I know I’m not going into the playoffs thinking, ‘All right, we’re going to do this or do that,’ I’m just thinking, ‘How can we beat Denver on Saturday?’ In a lot of ways, it makes it really fun. Maybe not as fun as having one of the greatest rosters ever assembled, but it’s a completely different challenge and unique.”
The postseason will begin soon and we will get a better understanding of what to expect from the Warriors.
Whether they make it out of the west or not, one thing is certain: The players on the roster will definitely feel good about competing in the postseason after a gap of two seasons.
