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Why the Golden State Warriors have actually done well to secure a top six seed

By Peter O'Keefe

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 26: Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors high-fives Draymond Green #23 after Green made a three-point basket against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first half at Chase Center on March 26, 2023 in San Francisco, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 26: Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors high-fives Draymond Green #23 after Green made a three-point basket against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first half at Chase Center on March 26, 2023 in San Francisco, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /
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If, at the start of the season, the Golden State Warriors were given the option of facing the Sacramento Kings in the first-round of the postseason, that’s a scenario they would have taken in a heartbeat.

How we’ve reached this position is rather surprising. Most would have expected the defending champions to be one of the top seeds, and for the Kings to be the team that’s scraped into a playoff spot. Instead, it’s the other way around as Sacramento had the fortune of resting key players down the stretch.

A 44-38 record may be a slightly disappointing result for the Golden State Warriors, but a deeper look may suggest they’ve done well to get to this spot.

Golden State concluded their regular season with a dominant 157-101 win over an undermanned Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday, in doing so securing sixth position in the Western Conference standings. In a turbulent up-and-down season marred by injuries and a woeful road record, they’ve ended on a high note to provide optimism heading to the postseason.

The Warriors have faced their fare share of issues, many of them self-inflicted. Yet, if you take into account issues outside their control, securing a top six playoff position is actually a decent result despite the anxiety the franchise has caused their fanbase.

Stephen Curry and Andrew Wiggins have both missed significant periods of the 2022-23 season for the Golden State Warriors. (Photo by Alex Bierens de Haan/Getty Images)
Stephen Curry and Andrew Wiggins have both missed significant periods of the 2022-23 season for the Golden State Warriors. (Photo by Alex Bierens de Haan/Getty Images) /

Superstar Stephen Curry missed two different periods through injury, totalling 26 games of apprehension for everyone. The two-time MVP had missed exactly 100 games in the previous four seasons. Golden State’s record in those games? 29-71.

If you take that winning percentage into his 26 games missed this season, then they should have won seven, maximum eight games. They won 14 of the 26, with the absence of Curry offense well compensated by Jordan Poole and Klay Thompson primarily.

Then you have Andrew Wiggins, last year’s All-Star that missed 45 games including the final 25. You can make the argument the 28-year-old is the Warriors’ second-best player behind Curry, and given he’s never missed more than a dozen games in his previous eight seasons, his absence has been an unexpected aspect the franchise has needed to acclimatize to.

Next. Golden State Warriors: Steve Kerr makes rotation change on eve of Playoffs. dark

We can’t go as far as stating that the Warriors have “defied the odds”, but simply avoiding the Play-In Tournament is a good outcome from where they were at times this season. The biggest positive is they’ve got a clean bill of health for their key players, with the major question now being the level in which Wiggins can impact the playoffs.

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