A recent stretch of success from the Golden State Warriors has some fans hoping for a late playoff push.
Hopes of reaching the postseason have been revived for fans of the Golden State Warriors. After a disastrous start to the season, the Dubs appear to be finally pulling themselves together.
The Warriors began the season in the worst way imaginable. An 0-2 start was made much worse when Stephen Curry broke his hand only four games into the year. Since then, the team has struggled mightily, holding a league-worst 8-24 record.
During this time, the Warriors have watched as D’Angelo Russell and Draymond Green both battled nagging injuries. Without any star talent to lead the way, Golden State was forced to rely on role players and rookies.
Luckily, a few players stepped up. Eric Paschall has blossomed into a rising star while Ky Bowman and Damion Lee have shown signs of productivity. With Russell and Green back in the lineup for good, the Warriors have strung together three consecutive wins.
Their most impressive victory of the season came on Christmas Day against the Houston Rockets. The entire team showed up and executed the game plan to perfection. As Curry’s return approaches in February, could this team make a late push for the playoffs?
The Dubs are currently six games back from the eighth seed. This seems like a reasonable deficit to overcome with the potential of both Curry and Thompson coming back later in the season.
However, according to PowerRankingGuru, the Warriors have the most difficult remaining schedule in the league. If this is true, it may put a permanent dent in any postseason aspirations for Golden State.
Above all else, we have to ask if reaching the playoffs is even worth it for this team. The Warriors don’t appear to be built for a title run and a playoff berth would simply cost precious time that Curry and Thompson need to recover after five consecutive Finals appearances.
Furthermore, a lottery pick is far more valuable to this franchise than reaching the postseason. The Warriors might be able to make a historic comeback in the second half of the season but they are better off dwelling at the bottom of the standings.