For the first time since the 2019 NBA Finals, the Warriors are back in the playoffs, surviving a tumultuous season to finish at 53-29 and in third place in the Western Conference.
Despite their championship DNA, the Warriors don't enter the postseason as a title favorite. Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green played only 11 minutes together this season, and Curry's status for Game 1 against the Denver Nuggets on Saturday is undetermined as he recovers from a sprained ligament in his left foot.
Obviously, health is the most important factor for the Warriors to grind through the Western Conference gauntlet, return to the NBA Finals and recapture the Larry O'Brien Trophy. Aside from that, Curry sees one factor as pivotal in Golden State's upcoming title quest.
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“What needs to happen is health, like you said," Curry told Draymond Green on the latest episode of "The Draymond Green Show." "But we keep doing what we’re doing in terms of how we play and then, defensively obviously, is going to take the cake, and it’s amazing to have you back feeling good and healthy to help lead that charge.
"But we know the playoffs. The rotation gets tight. But with that tight rotation, you have those three to four guys -- it’s going to be [Jonathan Kuminga], [Moses Moody], [Damion Lee], [Juan Toscano-Anderson], even [Gary Payton II] a little bit -- those guys, depending on matchups and depending on how a series goes, have to be prepared and ready and locked into what you are going to be asked to do. That could be five minutes. It could be a 30-minute run. That could be starting one game, coming off the bench one game. The flexibility in that we have so many pieces to go to. Some teams, they have eight guys and are going to play eight guys and that’s the whole run and that’s it.
"We’re not that team. So if our rotation, we play at the highest level, do what we need to do and we have our guys ready to step into those roles on a moment’s notice, that’s going to give us our best chance. We know it’s going to be tough. We know how hard it is to win a championship and how many things have to go your way. "
At full health, coach Steve Kerr's rotation goes 14 deep, giving the Warriors a multitude of different lineup combinations to throw at opponents in a series.
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“I like the fact that we have the ability to throw a bunch of different guys out there and trust they can provide value and do what they need to do out there," Curry continued. "There’s no brighter stage than the playoffs to show that. There’s just a different energy and when you look back at certain guys that have helped us win a series or win a championship, some of those names will hop off the page because they are unexpected guys who came into their role and did what they need to do.”
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If Curry returns at or near 100 percent, the Warriors will be a team no one wants to see in the postseason.
The combination of championship experience, veteran role players and electric young talent is a potent cocktail for postseason success. However, the Warriors also know the razor-thin margins championships are won in. With several key players having little or no postseason experience, the Warriors will rely on their championship core to steady the ship through any rocky waters that await.
"A big part of game planning is messaging about what the playoffs are really about and how you have to approach things and handle them," Kerr told reporters on Tuesday. "We have got a lot of young guys so we'll be counting on guys like Steph and [Draymond Green] and [Andre Iguodala] and [Klay Thompson] to really advise the younger players and get them ready mentally."
The Warriors have been waiting for their grand playoff re-entrance. On Saturday, it finally arrives.