Steve Kerr said it last week: the Golden State Warriors are a fading dynasty. They won a championship less than four years ago, but it feels like a lifetime ago. And in reality, it was Stephen Curry's blind loyalty to Steve Kerr and Draymond Green that created the circumstance this team now finds itself in.
Since that 2022 championship, there were hard conversations that needed to be had in order to truly extend Golden State's dynasty. But Curry's refusal to do so and his preference for continuity over uncomfortable long-term change ultimately put the franchise in this position where they now have just a .500 record and are locked into the play-in.
Maybe the most painful part of all of this is that Steph is still playing at a high level. He would still be able to lead a better-built squad to a deep playoff run, but Golden State’s margin for error has almost completely vanished. Unfortunately, this is what happens when a roster is built on nostalgia rather than adaptability.
Curry's refusal to shake things up led to the Warriors' stagnation
Draymond Green remains an emotional leader and defensive communicator, but the slippage is impossible to ignore. His offensive limitations allow defenses to load up on Curry, and the lineup flexibility that once defined the Warriors is gone. Kerr’s system still values trust and continuity, yet the league has shifted even more toward speed and rim pressure, and Golden State has struggled to keep up with that evolution.
This is where Curry’s influence matters most. Superstars shape organizations, and Curry has always valued loyalty and familiarity. Those traits helped build one of the greatest dynasties the NBA has ever seen, but they've also prevented necessary separation when decline became obvious. The Warriors kept betting that internal improvement and chemistry could outweigh age and athletic decline, and that bet has not paid off.
The front office deserves criticism too, but Curry’s voice carries enormous weight. When the choice was between pivoting aggressively or preserving the core, preservation won out. Now, the Warriors are stuck in the NBA’s most unforgiving middle ground. They're not bad enough to reset quickly, and they're not good enough to threaten the West’s elite.
This is the uncomfortable truth Warriors fans are coming to terms with. The dynasty didn't really fade because the league caught up, it ultimately faded because Golden State chose comfort over evolution. Curry helped build something historic, but his greatest strength has become a weakness. He made this bed out of loyalty, and now the Warriors are forced to sleep in it.