Kurtenbach: A salute to the Warriors’ season, and what comes next
Despite playing without Draymond Green, Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson,
the Golden State Warriors won 53 games and had the third-best record in
the NBA
>SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA – APRIL 7: Golden State Warriors’ Klay
Thompson (11) and Stephen Curry converse in the last seconds of their
win against the Los Angeles Lakers in the fourth quarter of their NBA
game at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Thursday, April 7,
2022. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
>SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA – APRIL 7: Golden State Warriors’ Klay
Thompson (11) and Stephen Curry converse in the last seconds of their
win against the Los Angeles Lakers in the fourth quarter of their NBA
game at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Thursday, April 7,
2022. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
By DIETER KURTENBACH | dkurtenbach@bayareanewsgroup.com | Bay Area News
Group
PUBLISHED: April 15, 2022 at 8:56 a.m. | UPDATED: April 15, 2022 at
10:18 a.m.
https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2022/04/15/kurtenbach-a-salute-to-the-warriors-season-and-what-comes-next/

It has been three years since the Warriors have been in the playoffs —
the real playoffs, not the play-in format they were relegated to last
season.

That alone is a reason for celebration.

There are many questions about the Warriors heading into this postseason
and the pursuit of a fourth championship in eight years, but before they
are presented, let’s acknowledge what this team already has accomplished.

No, the Warriors didn’t maintain their torrid early-season pace — they
started 11-1 and crested at 41-13, 28 games over .500 — and they lost
their grip on the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference.

But through six months of tumult best told by the fact that Steph Curry,
Draymond Green, and Klay Thompson played only 11 minutes together all
season, the Dubs finished with the third-best record in the NBA (53-29)
and are a legitimate championship contender.

So don’t poo-poo the No. 3 seed. This team could have gone the route of
the Lakers, who despite a Hall of Fame roster led by LeBron James
finished 33-49 and out of the playoffs.

In the dynastic years past, the Warriors would treat the first round of
the playoffs as a warmup. The team’s talent was so prodigious during its
run to five consecutive NBA Finals that the Warriors would round into
form against their first-round opponents.

They will not be afforded the same grace this time around. The Warriors
are rightly favored against the Denver Nuggets in the seven-game series
that opens Saturday at home. But they will need to be on their game from
the opening tip. The Warriors’ margin for error this postseason has
never been smaller in Steve Kerr’s eight seasons as coach.

That’s bad news for a team that is only optimistic — not certain — if
Curry (foot sprain) will be ready for Game 1.

The Nuggets, the No. 6 seed with a record of 48-34, are more than
capable of ending the Dubs’ season early, as they present two issues
that could prove difficult to summit.

The first is altitude. Yes, these are some of the finest athletes in the
world, but The Mile High City has 17 percent less oxygen in the air than
San Francisco. Adjustment to that environment is never easy. How long it
takes the Warriors to catch their breath could be a significant factor
in the length of this series.

The other factor is Nikola Jokic, the 6-foot-11 do-it-all Serbian and
the favorite to win a second-straight MVP award. Jokic averaged 27
points, 14 rebounds and eight assists and added defense to his game this
season.

Despite his size — he carries 284 pounds on his 6-foot-11 frame — he had
an effective field goal percentage of 62, the second-best mark by a
high-volume, 3-point shooting player in the modern history of the game.
No. 1? Curry, who had an effective field goal percentage of 63 in the
season he won MVP on a unanimous vote.

Jokic, 27, is a singular force in this league. An offensive weapon
without compare. A dead-eye shooter, low-post maestro, and arguably the
greatest passing big man in the history of the NBA.

The Nuggets don’t match up with the Warriors at four positions, but at
center, Denver’s advantage is so significant, that it will
unquestionably be the fulcrum of the series.

Golden State has struggled with size all season. The Warriors have one
true center on the roster — Kevon Looney. Behind him on the depth chart
are a variety of small-ball options and Green.

If Jokic’s impact can be mitigated by that group, the Warriors will
advance to the second round with ease.

If the MVP has a field day against Looney & Co., this could prove to be
a long showdown for the Dubs.

In the end, I expect Golden State to win.

After Denver, the Memphis Grizzlies and the Phoenix Suns loom heavy.

The Grizzlies, the No. 2 seed at 56-26, are young and brash and
talented. They really don’t like the Warriors, who are perceived as the
league’s old guard. My, where does the time go?

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Specifically, the Grizzlies don’t like Warriors forward Andre Iguodala,
who was traded to Memphis three seasons ago and refused to play for
them. The Grizzlies players and the city of Memphis haven’t forgotten
and they are not keen to forgive.

Warriors-Grizzlies could be a classic that goes a full seven games, with
plenty of the NBA’s trademark drama to go along with top-flight basketball.

And if the Warriors were to advance — I’d like their odds there — the
Suns would likely be next.

Phoenix (64-18) was the best team in the NBA this year, bar none. I
would likely favor Phoenix in a seven-game series with a trip to the NBA
Finals on the line, but the Warriors played the Suns well this season.

This postseason will be tight all the way to the end. Remember the
Giants’ playoff “torture?” I think it’s about to move down the street.

But the Warriors have a marked advantage should these playoffs prove to
be close-quarter combat: Their core players have more experience winning
than any other team in the field.

So while the Nuggets present problems, the Grizzlies are out to settle
old scores, and the Suns might be the team to beat, the Warriors have
Steph, Klay, and Dray.

How can you bet against them?