Are the Warriors frauds or actual playoff contenders?

The Golden State Warriors have beaten the Clippers and Blazers, but they also have a few ugly losses. That said, are they playoff contenders or frauds?

Currently, the Golden State Warriors are tied for 8th in the Western Conference.

There are a bunch of teams all sitting at 6-6 in the conference. The 11th seed in the West is 6-6 while the sixth seed in the East isn’t even .500. That’s tough to swallow for teams like Golden State that could be craving a playoff spot and solidly over .500.

Despite a relatively strong start to the season, the Warriors aren’t necessarily in a great playoff position. With a difficult schedule ahead, the Warriors will have ample opportunity to prove if they’re for real.

Through 12 games, we should already be able to tell if this team is for real. I’d like to say at full strength they are, but it doesn’t seem like this team will be able to handle teams like Los Angeles unless they get a catastrophic game from Stephen Curry.

The Dubs only downed the Blazers behind a career-high 62 from Curry. More recently, they’re coming off a loss in which Curry put up 35 and the team still was not able to get within single digits of the Denver lead to end the game.

While the focus has been on Kelly Oubre Jr., the team really needs Draymond Green to step up. Yes, he’s the offensive leader, and the team is clearly better with him on the court. But, offensively, he’s the commander, but he also needs to be more of a scorer.

Green is averaging almost 4.0 points per game. That said, playing at their peak with James Wiseman understanding more on the defensive end and Oubre Jr. thriving offensively, this team can contend.

But, over a seven-game stretch, it’ll be difficult to get that type of electric performance from anyone other than Curry which is why the team will clearly showcase just how much they miss Klay Thompson.

Calling a team that still has the core of a roster that went to five straight Finals frauds is a bit far. They aren’t a team that can be taken lightly, especially with Curry being the microwave that he is. But, in their current state, they also shouldn’t be considered title defenders.

The keys for this team are obvious. Wiseman needs to grow defensively, Oubre Jr. and Green need to deliver offensively and the bench needs to continue to hold leads. If they can do that, they’ll at least contend for a playoff position in a difficult Western Conference.