The narratives have started to shift regarding the Warriors' 2022 NBA Finals run.
After a disastrous 134-95 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies in Game 5 of the Western Conference semifinals, one of the worst playoff losses in the history of the franchise, the Warriors' struggles against Memphis have only intensified.
While maintaining a 3-2 series lead, the Warriors can put away the pesky Grizzlies with a win at Chase Center on Friday in Game 6. If Golden State were to advance, they would face the winner of the Phoenix Suns and Dallas Mavericks semifinal series before any potential Finals series against one of the Eastern Conference teams. Regardless of who they play if they were to advance, the public's support of this Warriors team is waning.
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Minnesota Timberwolves guard Patrick Beverley joined "NBA Today" on Thursday morning, where he went to bat for the Warriors and defended them against fellow analysts Richard Jefferson and Kendrick Perkins.
"You just get blown out at a historic level -- at one point in time they were down by 55 [points]," Jefferson said. "That's not the Warriors team that I have grown to know, respect and at times you have to fear them, that's not the same team."
"I think we have to move forward because it's not the same team and we can't expect them to be the team of the past," Perkins added. "They are who they are. But when I look at the Warriors' team, they are in trouble. And I'm not talking about in this series. Their goal is to win the championship and the brand of basketball that they are playing right now, if they happen to go against the Phoenix Suns next round if they go on to beat the Dallas Mavericks, they might get swept playing the way that they've played."
Golden State Warriors
Beverley, who faced off against the Warriors three times this season in four total matchups against Golden State, is familiar with the weapons the Warriors have -- the very same weapons that won three championships in five straight Finals appearances, not to mention a couple of young, rising stars added to the mix.
"That team winning the championship, I don't know what y'all on," Beverley said. "This is the Golden State Warriors we're talking about, man ... that boy over there [Jordan] Poole can hoop. This young boy [Jonathan] Kuminga ... the boy can hoop.
"They're going to play whoever in the Eastern Conference for the championship."
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The Warriors are all too familiar with the outside noise and they've heard the criticism before. After such an ugly game on Wednesday night, they have no other choice but to devise a new game plan and close out a hungry Grizzlies team.