Steph Curry is as big a difference-maker as anyone. His presence on the court changes everything for the Warriors, and when he returns to the court (hopefully) in the next few weeks, the complexion of the Warriors will change. The only problem is that these Warriors are more than one Steph Curry away from being a threat to anyone in the playoffs — and that's saying something.
In 2026, when the Thunder and Spurs (and maybe even the Lakers) all exist as giants in the Western Conference, a roster of Steph Curry and whoever the hell else isn't enough to make noise in the postseason. Unfortunately, when Curry returns, that's exactly what this roster will be. With all due respect to the current iteration of the Warriors — which is full of guys who are fighting for future roster spots — this is not a team that would stick around with any of the West's best.
Steph and Draymond Green have better chemistry than any other duo in the league. But great chemistry between two aging players (one returning from a semi-serious injury) isn't going to get this team past the juggernaut Thunder or almost-juggernaut Spurs.
The NBA world expects the Warriors to look toward the future
Fans may already be looking toward the future (specifically this offseason), to be fair. Now, across the NBA spectrum, the expectations for the Warriors seem to be the same: just finish off this season and figure out the future in a few months. This seems to be the common refrain among fans in The Bay and analysts alike.
This isn't to say there can't be fun moments when Steph is back in the fold. Maybe the Warriors win a thrilling play-in game and sneak into the playoffs. Then people will start talking about how the Warriors aren't a typical No. 7 or No. 8 seed and how if Steph gets hot, they can beat anyone. I can see it all so clearly.
In reality, the Warriors have dealt with too many injuries (specifically to Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody) to give them a chance. It was probably never going to be the year for the Warriors' fifth title since 2015, anyway. In a weird way, there doesn't seem to be any hope left of a postseason run, so anything good that happens this year would be a pleasant surprise for Warriors fans. But it's probably not too early to start looking at free agent targets for the summer.