Draymond Inexperienced simply couldn’t hold his birthday want a secret. Can you actually blame him?
Simply lower than a month after the Golden State Warriors introduced in Jimmy Butler, the four-time champion celebrated his thirty fifth birthday in New York Metropolis after yet one more victory—this time over the New York Knicks at Madison Sq. Backyard, simply the new-look Dubs’ finest win for the reason that commerce deadline. Golden State is a gaudy 9-1 with Butler within the lineup coming into Thursday’s tilt with the Brooklyn Nets, vaulting a number of spots up the crowded Western Convention standings.
Avoiding the play-in match isn’t this staff’s purpose anymore. The Warriors are in sole possession of sixth place out West, with the slumping Houston Rockets and Memphis Grizzlies only a few video games above them. Dwelling-court benefit within the first spherical of the playoffs would positive be a coup for Golden State, particularly contemplating the lengthy postseason street Inexperienced more and more believes the Dubs will take to a different title.
“Y’all know what my want is?” he rhetorically requested a room stuffed with Warriors gamers and staffers late Tuesday evening, leaning in towards a birthday cake formed like the one NBA jersey he’s ever worn. “That’s why it’s 5 candles.”
Inexperienced didn’t want sustained proof of idea with Butler in blue and gold nor the celebratory event of formally hitting his mid-30s to tease successful a fifth championship with Golden State. He’d beforehand assured hoisting yet one more Larry O’Brien Trophy throughout All-Star Weekend within the Bay Space, barely greater than per week after the Warriors acquired that long-elusive second star to pair with Steph Curry.
“I stated, ‘I feel we’re gonna win a championship, however I lied,” Inexperienced quipped on Feb. 15, dwell from the TNT set exterior Chase Middle. “We are going to win the championship.”
Fulfilling that promise appears extra believable now than it did through the All-Star break.
The Dubs personal the NBA’s third-best file since Butler debuted, the identical rank as their +13.3 internet ranking. They’re additionally top-five in each offensive and defensive ranking, a feat of two-way prowess solely matched by the league-leading Cleveland Cavaliers.
Curry has firmly put pre All-Star capturing struggles within the rearview mirror, presently taking part in his finest basketball of 2024-25. Whereas Butler undoubtedly hasn’t flipped the swap to playoff mode, his presence alone has to this point solved Golden State’s longstanding lack of ability to remain afloat with Curry on the bench. Jonathan Kuminga’s return from a badly sprained ankle nonetheless looms.
Have these Warriors even scraped their ceiling but? The midseason integration of a pressure like Butler amid Kuminga’s prolonged absence—to not point out Inexperienced’s usually brash confidence and Curry persevering with to stave off Father Time—recommend in any other case. Golden State’s finest should still lie forward, maybe coming on the good time.
Inexperienced, Curry, Butler and Steve Kerr little question suppose so. Speaking heads and community executives are dreaming of the Dubs returning to the league’s brightest stage. Excitable followers may as properly be planning one other championship parade.
However with simply 20 video games left within the common season, it’s nonetheless too quickly to name the revamped, reinvigorated and surging Warriors title contenders.
Warriors have preyed on weak opponents
“Actually good win. All of them rely, clearly, however this felt good,” Kerr stated following Golden State’s win in New York Metropolis. “On the street, on a back-to-back towards a extremely nice staff.”
The bodily and psychological toughness the Warriors performed with on Tuesday is indeniable. So is the fast on-court chemistry between their three future Corridor of Famers. What’s undoubtedly debatable is whether or not the Knicks, boasting the league’s fourth-highest win proportion this season, are near the identical staff with out Karl Anthony-Cities.
The five-time All-Star missed the 104-92 loss to Golden State as a consequence of private causes. The Knicks’ elite 120.4 offensive ranking with Cities on the ground dips all the best way right down to 111.1 when he’s on the bench, per NBA.com/stats, a +9.3 discrepancy that’s largest on the roster. Tom Thibodeau rose the teaching ranks as a defensive maestro, however his staff nonetheless cuts its contending tooth on the opposite finish, the place Cities’ outside-inside dynamism makes life hell for defenders and much simpler for teammates.
The Warriors’ ninth win in 11 video games moved New York to 3-3 this season sans Cities. The Knicks are one in all 4 opponents with a successful file Golden State beat over that stretch. In addition they ran previous the Chicago Bulls in Butler’s first recreation, blew out the Charlotte Hornets twice, got here again to finest the Orlando Magic behind a scintillating Curry’s 56 factors, and fell to the decimated, woebegone Philadelphia 76ers as Butler rested a sore again.
Highway wins over the Knicks, Houston Rockets, Milwaukee Bucks, Sacramento Kings, and even the Luka Doncic-less Dallas Mavericks are spectacular on paper. There’s no want for any staff to apologize for beating the foe in entrance of them, both. However identical to New York wasn’t near its finest with out Cities, neither had been any of the playoff shoo-ins or hopefuls the Dubs have dispatched since Butler’s arrival.
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Golden State took down the Bucks as an injured Giannis Antetokounmpo watched from the sidelines. Houston’s game-changing depth was squashed with out Fred VanVleet, Jabari Smith Jr. and Tari Eason. Sacramento was not less than entire after swapping De’Aaron Fox for Zach LaVine, however deployed a now-defunct defensive technique that allowed the Dubs to splash 20 triples—and instantly prompted a four-game successful streak as soon as it was scratched. Although Kyrie Irving was nonetheless wholesome for Dallas’ hard-fought win and embarrassing subsequent loss to the Warriors, Anthony Davis, Dereck Full of life II and Daniel Gafford had been all sidelined for each video games.
Strive your finest to tune out the cacophonous euphoria of Golden State’s current dominance, mainly. There’s numerous noise surrounding the Warriors’ efficiency with Butler, and never simply because their protection has been artificially lifted by opponents capturing 31.3% from deep when he performs with out Curry, per pbpstats.com.
The truth is that Golden State’s meteoric stand up the standings has come with out beating a playoff staff that can look something prefer it does in April, Could and June.
The place does Golden State stack up in overhauled Western Convention?
The Dubs’ remaining schedule is forgiving, however they will nonetheless have ample alternative to show their contending bonafides earlier than common season’s finish.
Cities needs to be again within the lineup when New York involves San Francisco on March 15, the start of a three-game stretch that finishes with clashes versus the Bucks and Denver Nuggets. Golden State then faces an especially robust quartet of contests in early April towards the Memphis Grizzlies, Los Angeles Lakers, Rockets and Nuggets.
We can’t be relegated to counting on the Warriors’ preliminary success with Butler nor Inexperienced’s assure and birthday want to assess the place they stand within the West main as much as the playoffs. These teams of video games will probably be much more revealing than something that has transpired during the last month.
The place may Golden State fall within the pecking order of Western Convention competition by then?
It is silly to query the Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder’s standing as prohibitive favorites, particularly as Chet Holmgren re-acclimates coming back from damage. Nikola Jokic has put collectively arguably the best offensive season ever, pulling Denver up the standings whereas Jamal Murray rounds again towards peak kind.
Past the Thunder and Nuggets, although, there simply is not any competitors for Golden State to outright worry on its quest again to the NBA Finals.
It is no coincidence the Warriors and Lakers have thrived since including two of essentially the most devastating postseason performers in current NBA historical past. They’d be underdogs, however Curry and Butler may completely outduel James and Doncic in a momentous potential playoff matchup with Los Angeles.
The Grizzlies are floundering, with Jaren Jackson Jr. shelved by an ankle damage and Ja Morant’s frustration mounting whereas managing a nagging proper shoulder damage. The younger Rockets simply aren’t able to compete on the recreation’s highest ranges offensively. The Los Angeles Clippers clearly cannot be counted on. The Minnesota Timberwolves do not come near matching Golden State’s top-end expertise. The Phoenix Suns are lifeless within the water.
Make no mistake: It would take a serious upset for the Warriors to win the West earlier than Curry hangs it up, not to mention win one other title. However nobody will need to attempt to match the desire, wits and expertise of this staff within the playoffs, whether or not or not Golden State makes good on its current success with Butler over the season’s the rest.