Golden State’s 25–26 Season Took an Unexpected Turn, So What’s Left to Chase?
On February 12th, right before the All-Star break, the Golden State Warriors sat just five games away from the sixth seed. That would guarantee them a ticket to the 2026 NBA Playoffs, and the acquisition of Kristaps Porzingis from the Atlanta Hawks would greatly aid a push for nothing less. However, a lot can change in a month. Players began to pick up injuries left and right, resulting in the calling up of multiple players from the Santa Cruz Warriors, Golden State’s G-League affiliate. The results reflected the team’s sudden lack of talent, and the Warriors began to lose touch with a seed they wanted or even needed.
Ever since that day, Steve Kerr’s team has gone an abysmal 4-12, and two of their four wins were against the rebuilding Washington Wizards and the retooling Memphis Grizzlies. They currently sit in the 10th spot in the Western Conference, and if the New Orleans Pelicans were more competitive, the Warriors would suddenly have to worry about even entering the play-in tournament. With roughly 11 games left for each team, Golden State needs a reset. They await the return of superstar guard Stephen Curry, whose return seems near after news that he’ll rejoin team practices in the coming days. The question that remains is: what do the Warriors still have left to fight for?
Not all hope is lost for the season. By the way the team has played recently, this seems a rather optimistic statement. However, Golden State still has essentially, though not yet mathematically, locked in a top 10 spot. Too many things would need to fall in the Dubs' favor to reach as high as the seventh seed, currently held by the Phoenix Suns and their 39-32 record. Tallying 33 wins and 38 losses, the team from the Bay has one realistic goal, and that’s the eighth seed.
With the present playoff system, the difference between their current position and the one they desire should offer enough motivation for the 2022 Champions. Finishing that high in the standings would allow Golden State two chances at a playoff berth, the second of which would be at home. That’s especially significant for this bunch, because they are 19-15 at Chase Center, while playing nine games below .500 away from San Francisco. By clinching one of the last two tournament positions, they’d have to win two games, both of which may be on the road. Even then, they’d most likely match up against the defending champions, Oklahoma City Thunder, in a nightmare matchup for the guys in white and gold. The path has, unfortunately, tightened up for the Warriors, and it won’t get much easier from here until the end of this campaign. While they can still pick up positives from their situation, their hunt has one clear goal: eighth seed, or an early trip to summer vacation.
