The Golden State Warriors aren't currently in a place where they can reasonably contend for a title, and Sunday night's loss to the Trail Blazers was the latest reminder of this fact. The sooner the Warriors fan base and the front office comes to this conclusion, the better.
Against Portland, Stephen Curry scored 48 points and made 12 three-pointers, but it wasn't enough as Golden State fell 136-131. It was the first time in NBA history that a player made at least 12 three-point shots but their team still lost the game. This result should serve as a wake-up call that the Warriors don't currently have enough supporting pieces around Curry to actually go deep in the playoffs.
What makes losses like Sunday even harder to swallow is that Curry is still playing some of the most efficient basketball of his career. He's still bending defenses in ways no other guard in the league can replicate, and yet Golden State continues to lean on him for miracles in games that should not require them. When he explodes for nearly 50 and the Warriors still walk away with a loss, it becomes impossible to pretend this roster is built for anything more than a first round exit.
This Warriors' roster won't win a title as is
The most glaring issue is that the Warriors no longer have the defensive identity that once covered up nights where the offense stalled. They don't consistently generate stops, and late in games their resistance in the paint evaporates. Opponents are getting to the rim far too easily and forcing Golden State into shootouts they can't survive without Curry being perfect. That's just not a sustainable model.
Offensively, the supporting cast has not shown enough reliability either. There are flashes, but too often the Warriors fall into long scoring droughts when Curry sits. They've experimented with different lineup combinations, but nothing has emerged that resembles a stable second unit. If anything, the offensive burden on Curry has only grown heavier as the season has progressed.
Golden State’s front office is at a crossroads. They can no longer assume internal growth will close the gap between themselves and the top tier of the West. Without real roster changes, the Warriors are asking their 37-year-old superstar to take on a colossal task.
This loss to Portland was painful, but useful. It clarified that Golden State cannot keep chasing the illusion that the old formula will magically return. If the Warriors want to give Curry a real chance at competing again, they need to confront what this season is telling them and find meaningful solutions before it's too late.