The Clippers haven’t exposed the Warriors so much as proven them occasionally negligent. What should have been a routine Golden State blowout in Game 2 instead gave way to an unprecedented 31-point comeback. When given the chance in Game 5 to put their first-round series to bed, the Warriors abstained from actually guarding the Clippers until it was far too late. This is what a playoff series looks like when a decisive favorite doesn’t take its dogged, capable opponent all that seriously. Once they do, the series will likely be over.
To the extent that Golden State has any real concern, it’s this: Once the time comes to dig in and actually make a run, the back-to-back champions have been uncharacteristically slow to rally.