The Golden State Warriors aren’t supposed to be here-not really. Not after losing Jimmy Butler to a season-ending ACL tear.
Not with a roster that’s been in flux, a rotation in question, and a Western Conference that doesn’t exactly hand out playoff spots for effort. But here they are, still swinging.
At 29-25 and clinging to the No. 8 seed in the West, Golden State is doing what they’ve done for over a decade now: finding a way. Even when the odds lean heavily against them.
The front office made a bold move in the wake of Butler’s injury, shipping out Jonathan Kuminga-a young talent with undeniable upside but a complicated fit-and bringing in Kristaps Porzingis. The message was clear: this team isn’t folding.
Not with Steve Kerr on the bench. Not with Steph Curry still capable of bending defenses like few in league history.
And not with a locker room that still believes it has something left to prove.
Just ask Memphis. The Grizzlies got a front-row seat to this team’s resilience, falling 114-113 in a game that came down to the wire.
What stood out wasn’t just the final score-it was who wasn’t on the floor in crunch time. Draymond Green, a staple of the Warriors’ closing lineups for years, sat out the final moments of that game.
Same story in their recent four-point win over the Suns.
Naturally, questions followed. Is there friction between Kerr and Draymond? Has something shifted behind the scenes?
Kerr addressed it head-on during a recent appearance on Willard and Dibs, explaining the tactical shift that’s kept Green on the bench late in games.
“Without Steph and Jimmy, we’re struggling to score at times,” Kerr said. “We’re just finding that we’re better off playing one big. And if Al [Horford] is playing like he did last night, then we’re going to stay with Al and stay smaller around him.”
It’s a pragmatic adjustment from a coach who’s never been afraid to tweak the formula. Kerr emphasized that the decision isn’t set in stone-it’s just what’s working right now.
“So it’s just the way it is right now,” he continued. “Everything could be completely different next week, so you just have to kind of roll with it.”
That “roll with it” mantra might as well be etched into the Warriors’ DNA at this point. This is a franchise that’s made its name on adaptability-on controlled chaos, unorthodox lineups, and the kind of basketball IQ that makes the unconventional look obvious.
Porzingis changes the geometry of the floor. Even when he’s not dominating statistically, his size and spacing create opportunities that didn’t exist before.
And while Curry’s been in and out of the lineup, his mere presence on the court continues to warp opposing defenses. He’s still the gravitational force everything else orbits around.
And Kerr? He’s still the coach willing to make uncomfortable calls if it means putting his team in position to win.
Benching Draymond in crunch time isn’t easy. But it’s the kind of decision that speaks to a bigger truth: the Warriors aren’t chasing nostalgia-they’re chasing wins.
No, this isn’t the 2017 superteam. This version of Golden State is older, more banged up, and missing some key pieces.
But they’re also dangerous in a different way. They’ve got nothing to lose, and that makes them a nightmare for any team hoping for a smooth ride through the play-in or the first round.
Doubt them if you want. Just know that history hasn’t been kind to those who’ve counted the Warriors out too soon.