The Golden State Warriors have struggled to close the NBA regular season, in large part due to Stephen Curry’s injury troubles. Still, as the Warriors will likely finish with home-court advantage in the first round, Golden State is well equipped to make a deep run.
The Western Conference is as competitive as ever, so expect the Warriors’ title chances to depend heavily on these three key factors.
The first factor to watch is, of course, the health of Stephen Curry. He remains one of the best players in the NBA this season. The team’s record with and without Steph supports that.
The Warriors are 45-19 this season with Stephen Curry in the lineup. Without their superstar, the Warriors have posted just a 5-10 record. Having him back in the lineup is a necessity when discussing the Warriors’ playoff chances. Without him – they’re not even a playoff team.
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The second key to a Warriors title run is the recent play of Jordan Poole – and whether he can keep it going. In the last 15 games, Poole has averaged 26.8 points per game – and has scored so high without Curry playing in many of those games.
Poole provides a crucial scoring punch to the Warriors’ lineup. This season, Poole has emerged as an elite scorer alongside Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, which the Warriors have desperately needed since Kevin Durant’s departure.
Poole is one of five Warriors shooting 36.8% or better from deep, meaning the team can space the floor at an elite level, even as defenses turn up their intensity in the playoffs.
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Speaking of defense – the third key for the Golden State Warriors will be their ability to stop the elite guards in the Western Conference. It is unlikely that the Warriors will earn a Finals berth without first having to take down the Phoenix Suns and Devin Booker.
The Warriors have one win over a full-strength Suns squad this year, taking them down 116-107 on Christmas Day. Key to that win was their ability to shut down Devin Booker, who went just 5 for 19 from the field for 13 points.
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Looking at the film from that game, Booker’s misses were often due to the defensive pressure applied by Gary Payton II. Payton II has given stars trouble all year with his ferocious defense. It’s unclear if Payton II will be part of the Warriors’ playoff rotation, but if they want to win against teams like Phoenix, they’ll need to at least replicate his defensive intensity.
Despite a tough close to the season, Golden State is still among the top contenders in the Western Conference. With Steph back, Poole’s emergence, and some defensive intensity, the Golden State Warriors could find themselves in the Finals once again.
