The Golden State Warriors have nothing to lose. While that's not where they wanted to be at this point in the season following the All-Star break, it's where they're at and it could make them the most dangerous team in the NBA.
Right now, no one is expecting anything from the Warriors. They are without Jimmy Butler and are just a few games over .500. They are a safe bet to make the Play-In barring an epic collapse, so they will at least be guaranteed an 83rd game. But no one is expecting them to get much further than that.
Warriors can let ir rip in final months of the season
Golden State acquired Kristaps Porzingis at the trade deadline and having him on the floor will give the team a new look. His health is always going to be a big question, but if he can stay relatively healthy, maybe the Warriors can find something to work with.
The goal for the rest of the year should be to put the team in the best position for next season. If they don't have any more major injuries in the final months and play some solid basketball, finish above .500 and snagging either the seventh or eighth seed in the West to at least guarantee themselves two games after the regular season, then that would be a respectable finish given the circumstances.
Establishing a better team chemistry should be another goal. Maybe removing the bad vibes of the whole Jonathan Kuminga situation will cleanse things and allow the Warriors to play more freely going forward.
Opposing teams won't want to face the Warriors right now. If Stephen Curry is healthy and has nothing to lose, that's a very dangerous man to face. Even though the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs would almost certainly take down Golden State in a seven-game series, the prospect of going against Curry when he's trying to put on a show has to be at least a little anxiety-inducing.
We saw earlier this season how Curry was able to almost single-handedly take down the Spurs in two consecutive games, proving the greatest shooter of all time still has some magic left in him.
The Warriors don't have the talent, but they have the experience and they have nothing to lose. That will make them a tough opponent for pretty much any team they face coming down the stretch.