Thursday night was a tonic for the Warriors and their fans. Stephen Curry was back on the court. The Warriors acquitted themselves nicely against the defending champion Toronto Raptors.
Something was gained. But there was a vague sense that something was different. Something had been lost.
Error 0:
After the game, coach Steve Kerr, who leads the league in pragmatism, put the feeling into words. It was as if he was saying goodbye to a cherished friend.
One of the first postgame questions he fielded was whether he has had doubts the Warriors can get back to a championship level.