I've said it, and I'll say it again. The Golden State Warriors are not championship contenders this season without Jimmy Butler.
They simply lack the offensive juice to rival the Western Conference's top team, the Oklahoma City Thunder, in a full seven-game series. With Stephen Curry still without a definite timetable to return, they will be confined to the play-in.
But this last stretch has been promising nevertheless. They beat the Houston Rockets in overtime without Curry, playing connected defense and getting an impressive offensive performance out of a number of their complementary players. They then played the Thunder relatively closely, staying in the game until the final moments.
When Curry ultimately returns, they have a strong shot of emerging out of the play-in. That should be a nightmare scenario for any team slated for a play-in spot, but it also presents a troubling reality for a the Western Conference team who could be slated to face them in the first round.
The Warriors might not have the starpower to be serious contenders, but they're not quitting the fight
There is serious reason to be down on this Warriors team. They've gone 4-6 in their last 10 games, and they have just the 21st best net rating in the league since Feb. 1.
At the same time, though, they've gotten some promising developments from their complementary pieces. Brandin Podziemski has averaged 17 points over his last 10 appearances. De'Anthony Melton has averaged 15.3 in that same sample, although his stretches back further due to a pair of absences. Moses Moody, before he suffered a wrist sprain, was playing excellent basketball as well.
As of now, it seems as though the Warriors, Phoenix Suns, Portland Trail Blazers, and Los Angeles Clippers are the teams slated for the play-in. Each of these teams have their individual struggles, but Golden State possesses the ultimate trump card— Curry. If Curry returns in full form before the Play-In Tournament commences, these teams have ample reason to be scared of a matchup with the Warriors.
If they're are able to survive the play-in, and hopefully emerge as the seventh seed in the Western Conference playoffs, they would be set to play the San Antonio Spurs in the first round. The Spurs have been one of the most dominant teams in the NBA this season, but they have a shocking lack of playoff experience across their roster.
Even if the Warriors ultimately can't win that series (they likely couldn't), they know firsthand what a physical, contested first-round series can do to a team.
Ultimately, as long as Curry is playing, the Western Conference has reason to be afraid of a matchup with Golden State.