As the Golden State Warriors lost 124-119 in overtime to the Los Angeles Clippers in the final game of the regular season, fans everywhere held their heads in their hands dreading a return to the Play-In Tournament.
Having finished with a 46-36 record last season, Golden State were the tenth-seed in the Western Conference and were ultimately bounced by the Sacramento Kings rather easily in the first game of the Play-In Tournament.
This season, however, feels a little different. After acquiring Jimmy Butler at the trade deadline from the Miami Heat, the Warriors have been one of the best teams in the league. Although they lost three of their last five games to ultimately land them in the seventh-seed, they indeed still have a path to championship contention.
Play-In spot could actually be a break for the Warriors
Despite not having clinched a playoff spot yet, BetMGM has Golden State with the fifth-best odds to win the championship this season, per The Athletic. With only the Los Angeles Lakers, Cleveland Cavaliers, Boston Celtics, and Oklahoma City Thunder having better odds, the Warriors, according to NBA pundits, still stand a chance at rising out of the Play-In and into the NBA Finals.
Their pending matchup against the Grizzlies, from which the winner will go on to face the Houston Rockets in the first round, will not be an easy one. Yet while the Grizzlies are young and hungry, led by star guard Ja Morant and defensive powerhouse Jaren Jackson Jr., Golden State is 3-1 against them this season, having shown the capability in the past to game-plan for their strengths.
Were they to win Tuesday's game, a matchup against the Rockets could be fortunate as well. Although the Rockets defensively stifled Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler in their last matchup, resulting in a key loss that led to Golden State's current position, they largely lack playoff experience on their roster.
Houston are undeniably ahead of the timeline most thought they were on, and it is very possible that their young core cannot overcome the veteran prowess of the Warriors' core.
In the Western Conference Semi-Finals, Golden State would then face either the Lakers or the Minnesota Timberwolves, either of whom would be bruised and worn down from what is sure to be a tight series.
As an alternative to facing the red hot, Luka Doncic and LeBron James-led Lakers in the first-round, this scenario doesn't seem so bad after all.
While it remains to be seen if the Warriors can rectify their recent struggles, the path is certainly open to the Western Conference Finals, and no one should doubt what Butler and Curry could do should they reach that point.