The Warriors haven't looked like legitimate contenders of late.
Golden State entered Thursday night having lost nine of its last 11, five in a row, and was a mediocre 16-15 in the 2022 calendar year. Their defense has been leaky, the offense inefficient and Klay Thompson has struggled post-All-Star break.
The Warriors got some good vibes back Thursday, with the help of Will Ferrell, as they locked down the LA Clippers en route to a 112-97 win at Chase Center. Thompson scored 20 points in the win and played solid defense on Clippers point guard Reggie Jackson.
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After the win, former Miami Heat star and TNT analyst Dwyane Wade asked Thompson what he needs to see from the Warriors in their final 16 games to show they can make it back to the NBA Finals. Unsurprisingly, Thompson led off his answer with the return of Draymond Green, but noted Golden State must do more than get the All-Star forward back to become true title contenders.
"First off, we got to get healthy," Thompson told TNT in his walk-off interview. "We're missing one of our best players in Draymond. He's the heart of our team. And Andre [Iguodala] and our big man [James] Wiseman. Once we see our team as a whole that's going to be a lot of fun. I haven't played with Draymond in three years. He's like my brother out there. I miss him on the court. Same with Andre.
"Come playoff time, but not even then, for these last 16 games we've got to just create great habits. When it comes to the playoffs, it's a possession battle and we can't have any empty possessions. We've got to at least get a shot up, get some great ball movement, and be on a string together defensively. I'm really excited for the future and this is going to be a great year. I can just feel it."
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Needing a win in the worst way Thursday, the Warriors held the Clippers to 35.3 percent shooting from the field. Without Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, the Clippers have been among the worst offensive teams in the NBA this season, but it still was a needed sign of progress for the weary Warriors.
On the injury front, Green announced on his podcast that he was targeting Monday for his return, while Wiseman will play in two G League games this week for the Santa Cruz Warriors.
Golden State doesn't have a lot of time to get right before the playoffs begin. But if Green returns and Thompson gets right, the Warriors should be a legitimate threat to get back to the NBA Finals and bring another Larry O'Brien Trophy home to the Bay.