The Golden State Warriors are going to break their own record for the most successful four-year run in NBA history this year and should win at least 60 games for the fourth consecutive year, but this team - the one that was dubbed the best ever - is now facing some serious doubts and concerns.
They are no longer the top seed in the West as the Houston Rockets have held that distinction for the past few weeks and they've been clouded by injuries and poor play, losing three of their last four games.
However, as we all know (and as the Warriors will tell you themselves), none of that matters until the postseason. But is there reason for Warriors fans to be concerned? We break it down:
Why Fans Should Be Concerned:
There is a legitimate team out there who can challenge the Warriors. Over the past three years, no one in the West could touch Golden State and, as they showed last year, they're clearly better than the Cleveland Cavaliers whenever they'd face off in the Finals. This year, it's impossible to ignore Houston. They've been the ones dominating the regular season and have proven themselves against Golden State, winning two of the three meetings between the two this year.
Can you have your questions about the Rockets in the playoffs? Absolutely. James Harden and Chris Paul both have a track record of coming up short in the postseason. But they're going to be the ones with the easier draw this year and get all the big games at home. That's impossible to ignore.
There's also the incredible amount of injuries the Warriors are dealing with. Stephen Curry (ankle), Klay Thompson (thumb), Kevin Durant (ribs), and Draymond Green (shoulder) are all currently hurt and have missed (or will miss) extended periods due to those injuries. Furthermore, Andre Iguodala, Shaun Livingston, Davis West, and Patrick McCaw are also dealing with injuries.
If these injuries linger - or at least keep them from playing up to their full potential - there is definitely reason to be concerned. We've seen that during this losing skid in which the Warriors have lost to the Trail Blazers, Timberwolves, and Kings. Those losses are alarming because they're to teams the Warriors will likely face in the playoffs, giving them the confidence that they can beat Golden State - and the Warriors should simply never lose to the Kings. When the Warriors are this wounded, they're clearly very vulnerable.
Why Fans Should NOT Be Concerned:
This team has earned our trust at this point, right? The regular season doesn't matter to them as long as they get into the playoffs with a favorable seed. As most champions coming off multiple long playoff runs, they know they can flip a switch once the postseason hits and they can pace themselves from October-early April. That's what this group is doing, so don't worry about the one seed or this recent skid.
And though the Warriors are hurt, none of the injuries are expected to last more than a couple of weeks. Durant will be back in two weeks and Thompson says he expects to be back before the playoffs. They'll be good by the time it matters!
As for the Rockets, they've proven to be more pretender than contender in years past. They've never seriously challenged the Warriors in a playoff series and have fallen well short in other years. This year could be different but we have no proof that Houston can overcome any adversity.
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Verdict:
In the end, it's important to remember that there are still a few weeks left in the regular season for the Warriors to get healthy. Assuming they do, Golden State will go back to being Golden State in the playoffs. This team knows the regular season doesn't matter all that much (especially since they've practically got the two seed locked up) and they can claim home-court advantage with just one road victory.
Their focus should be to get healthy before the playoffs. If that happens, they'll win another championship. Don't be concerned...unless those injuries linger.
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