The Golden State Warriors have found themselves in a very similar spot to where they were a season ago. Fresh off a championship, the 2022-23 Warriors never looked like a serious threat to defend their title for any significant stretch of games. While there were flashes, there were also steps backwards that showed how far the team was from being a true contender.
This showed itself in Golden State’s second round loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, a series they only reached due to Steph Curry’s heroics in the opening round against the Sacramento Kings. Currently 15-17 and outside of the play-in picture, the Warriors again find themselves in a similar spot to last year, competing for a playoff spot rather than establishing themselves as serious contenders.
One of the biggest reasons for this has been the inconsistency of Golden State’s rotation players. Without a dependable five-man group, something that was a staple during the peak of their dynasty, the Warriors have spent a lot of this season searching for answers. This is something superstar point guard Steph Curry recognizes, and he admitted a harsh reality for Golden State after their latest loss to Dallas.
“That’s the nature of this team and what’s kinda materialized throughout the year,” Curry said. “We’ve experimented a lot… We haven’t found it collectively. It’s frustrating, for sure. 32 games in, and any team that is a seriously competitive contender or a good team can answer that question. We have to get to that point, for sure. Before it’s too late.”
This is a harsh reality the Warriors have to face, because while they have championship DNA and experience, they learned last season that those things need to show up during the regular season if they’re going to show up in the postseason.
