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The Golden State Warriors missed a prime chance at a championship run

By Nathan Beighle

May 19, 2021; Los Angeles, California, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins (22) beats Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) to a loose ball and takes it down court for a basket in the first quarter of the game at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
May 19, 2021; Los Angeles, California, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins (22) beats Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) to a loose ball and takes it down court for a basket in the first quarter of the game at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports /
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The top teams in each conference are now watching the NBA Playoffs from home. On top of that, the postseason is now short stars like Kevin Durant and LeBron James. That change in the norm could’ve presented a huge opportunity for the Golden State Warriors.

Sadly, the Warriors couldn’t get it done in the play-in tournament.

With just four beatable left in the playoffs, the Golden State Warriors missed out on a prime chance to win an NBA Championship.

Yes, I know it sounds wild to think they couldn’t beat the Grizzlies and turn around and assume they could’ve defeated Utah in a seven-game series, but that’s the Golden State team we watched all season.

They were sporadic, and they were too dependent on two-time MVP Stephen Curry. However, that dependence at times proved to be what saved them. Curry went off over the last few months of the season, solidifying his claim as the league’s best player.

Although it wasn’t enough to win him MVP, it was enough to garner him a top-three spot for the award.

His heroics also helped the Warriors finish 8th in the Western Conference. Despite going home before the actual playoffs commenced, the Warriors, at full strength, could’ve made some noise had they gotten in.

Many teams could blame health though as the Brooklyn Nets were the strong favorite to win the title until Kyrie Irving‘s ankle injury in the middle of their series with the Milwaukee Bucks. James Harden also dealt with a hamstring injury that kept him under 100 percent.

That said, Golden State didn’t need Klay Thompson to be a contender, but they did need the combination of Kelly Oubre Jr. and James Wiseman, two players they lost in the latter half of the season.

Having that size and playmaking would’ve been huge for them against the Grizzlies, but as seen with the bulk of teams throughout the season, injuries flourished with the shortened, condensed schedule.

It’s tough to even think about what would happen with every team at full strength, but the Warriors are a fun team to ponder that “what-if” scenario. The sad thing is that their current roster could’ve given either the Suns or Clippers a run for their money.

The Warriors will have their chance to get back to their winning ways, but they’ll need Klay Thompson’s health to do it with teams likely to continue improving this offseason. While this year was spoiled, the team is still alive and well for the next couple of seasons.

Next. Top 30 Golden State Warriors players in franchise history. dark

Without many big-name stars in the final four, the Warriors had a shot to reclaim their throne. Sadly, they were nowhere close after losing to Memphis.

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