Stephen Curry made one thing clear when the subject turned to the Warriors’ playoff chances: he had no interest in dwelling on the downside.
The question came after ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne brought up Steve Kerr’s comments about Golden State entering the season with low expectations and nobody really anticipating a postseason run. Curry cut it off immediately, throwing his hands up in disbelief.
“That’s how bad is that … to make the playoffs? We went from championship to … damn!” he said as laughter filled the room.
Then he stood up and walked out.
“That’s what I think about that.”
The moment fit the mood around a Warriors team that looks a lot different from the one people got used to seeing at the top of the league. Curry said enough with the question itself; the bigger reality is staring everyone in the face.
Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody are part of the long-term picture, but neither is expected to be part of the day-to-day answer for months. Kristaps Porziņģis has also been ruled out indefinitely.
On top of that, the rest of the league has spent the offseason consolidating talent, which only makes the climb steeper for Golden State.
Still, this doesn’t feel like a group ready to go quietly into the background.
The Warriors are about to open preseason, and there’s an obvious sense that this is a different kind of year - one where the story matters as much as the standings. Curry is locked in to retire with Golden State after his recent extension, and Draymond Green is back again for another run against the odds. The core has already given the franchise its biggest moments, but there may still be a few more twists left.
That’s part of what makes this stretch feel like a denouement, the slow settling of a story that’s already delivered its climax. The season may not be about proving anything anymore.
It may not even be about winning anything. But there is still something left to watch.
Kerr has only had one losing season in his entire tenure with the Warriors, and this does not read like the beginning of a second one. There’s at least some curiosity around the new faces, including Yaxel Okari Lendeborg, the Warriors’ 11th pick.
For a team that’s spent years living in the championship lane, that kind of uncertainty changes the temperature. The ceiling may be lower, but the late-career pull of Curry and Green is still real.
And that’s the point of this stage. It’s not always about a clean ending or a final exclamation mark. Sometimes it’s just about recognizing how few chances are left.
The last show at Thee Parkside. The last night at Bottom of the Hill. The last time Steph takes the floor and it feels ordinary, even though it isn’t.
You don’t always know when nostalgia starts. Sometimes you only realize it later, after the moment has already passed.
For now, the Warriors are still here. Curry is still here.
Green is still here. And there’s still one more season to watch, complain about, and maybe, somehow, be surprised by.
In Other News...
Warriors May Benefit From The Anthony Davis Situation Getting Messier
The Anthony Davis trade chatter has taken another turn, and it could matter for Golden State as much as anyone. Washington is now reportedly exploring a path that would send Davis to Detroit for restricted free agent Jalen Duren, a framework that speaks to how aggressively the Wizards are trying to move on and how complicated the market has become around the veteran big man.
For the Warriors, the bigger issue is leverage. They were already among the teams linked to Davis as they continue to look for help at center, and the more public Washington makes its willingness to deal him, the harder it may be to command the kind of return that once seemed possible. Golden State still fits the conversation if Davis becomes available in season, but the path to a deal may be getting messier by the day. [Read more 🡒]
Warriors Make Draymond Decision That Puts Pressure On This Season
Steve Kerr has made it clear that Draymond Green will stay in the starting five alongside Stephen Curry, a decision that keeps one of Golden States most familiar pairings intact as the team tries to steady its frontcourt. Even with outside chatter about a possible move to the bench, the Warriors are leaning on the chemistry Green and Curry have built over the years, a choice that says plenty about how much the organization still values that connection.
The move also adds another layer of pressure to what is shaping up as a pivotal season for Golden State, because the lineup picture is not entirely settled and health concerns for Kristaps Porzingis could force more shuffling than the Warriors would like. Greens place in the opening group should help define the teams identity early, but it also keeps the spotlight on how the roster performs if the start is uneven, especially with trade speculation already hanging around the situation. [Read more 🡒]
Steve Kerr Already Locked In Golden States Core Camp Decision
Draymond Greens summer took a familiar turn for Golden State, with the veteran forward opting out to help create cap space before eventually returning on the same one-year, $27.7 million deal. Stephen Curry, meanwhile, remains the franchise centerpiece after signing a two-year, $116 million extension that includes a player option on the final season, keeping the Warriors core structure intact as training camp approaches.
Steve Kerr has already made one lineup choice clear for the new season, and it speaks to how the Warriors want to open this next chapter. Green and Curry will be on the floor together when the season begins, preserving the veteran backbone that has defined Golden State for years while leaving the bigger questions about how the rotation evolves around them for later. [Read more 🡒]