Sure, we’re only a quarter or so into the NBA season.
But the Golden State Warriors are a mess, one that’s three games below .500 and 11th in the West as of publishing this.
It might be too early to declare them dead, but after the latest news involving Draymond Green, it’s a good time as any to ask: Is the Dubs dynasty dead?
We decided to put our thoughts down, and not everyone on For The Win‘s staff agreed. So here’s our take from a bunch of us as we wonder if it’s time to count the Warriors out already or not:
Don't write them off yet!
Technically, yes, the Warriors dynasty is dying because it’s closer to the end than the beginning. But as much as my eyes are telling me this is the year it completely collapses, I’m not ready to write them off as at least a playoff team yet.
The reason is because we saw this from the Warriors last year. Today, they’re only two games worse than they were through 23 games in 2022. And they actually went backwards from there, falling to 15-18 before Christmas. They were under .500 as late as Feb. 23 and still finished as the No. 5 seed. There’s still time for this year’s team to make a similar turnaround, and because the Western Conference is as wide open as ever, I’m not ready to count out Golden State with Stephen Curry still playing as good as ever. Yes, other players need to step up, but ultimately they just need to close games better. They’re almost always in every game, which is why they have a positive point differential despite a losing record. — Prince Grimes
It's pretty much over
Let me be unequivocally clear: the dynasty that was the Golden State Warriors exists no more — at least as we knew it.
In the last ten seasons, the Warriors have won four championships, including three in four years, but since then, the engine that makes them go has sputtered. Teams no longer fear the big three of Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green. While Curry can still shoot the lights out of the gym, Thompson has struggled to stay healthy and Green, while still effective, can’t seem to get out of his own way.
Additionally, the Warriors have seemingly mustered up recent success in spite of Steve Kerr, whose coaching decisions have failed to evolve to the level of competition the NBA now brings. That’s not exactly a recipe for success. The dynasty was fun while it lasted, but fans should know that it won’t ever look the same. — Meghan Hall
Don't bet against the Warriors yet
In the gauntlet of the Western Conference, there is one team that will inevitably miss the play-in tournament and the Warriors are in serious danger of that fate. Their vibes are starting to give post-empire in nearly every way but at the same time, they also still have Stephen Curry playing phenomenal basketball.
We should all know by now how dangerous it is to bet against Curry, who is still one of the top players in the world no matter how you want to measure it. Do I have concerns about Andrew Wiggins, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green? It would be foolish to ignore the red flags. But with promising signs of life from the young duo of Moses Moody and Brandin Podziemski and some room to shake things up if their revamped front office wants to make a trade before the deadline, it’s still way too early to wave the white flag on Golden State. I’m not calling it over for these guys until Curry does and while he seems frustrated, don’t count out their ability to come back to life and surprise us all. — Bryan Kalbrosky
It's over. Call it.
I think this is it. Even if the Dubs make it to the postseason, I don’t think they can make it that far.
Steph Curry is still doing otherworldly things as he’s been known to do, but having a soon-to-be-36-year-old put the team on his back seems like it could take a toll. Klay Thompson hasn’t looked the same since coming back from a pair of devastating injuries, and the stuff surrounding any kind of extension seems tense. I’m not really sure what’s going on with Andrew Wiggins. The aged Chris Paul is still trying to fit in.
And the Draymond Green suspension and his behavior? It’s only going to hurt worse the longer he’s away.
The good news: Young players like Podziemski, Moody and Jonathan Kuminga have shown flashes.
The bad news: I just think it’s not enough to save a sinking ship, one that’s incredibly lasted this long.
It is over
Draymond Green has officially tipped past the scale of hurting more than helping the Warriors. Klay Thompson is a shell of himself, playing like one of the league’s more inefficient and ineffective shooters. There are nice young pieces here around a still-excellent Steph Curry but not enough for Golden State to challenge other Western powers.
Which brings me to my main point: Denver runs the West now with Nikola Jokic, the best player in the world, along with the league’s arguably finest starting five and an ascending young bench with promise. And I’d be much more inclined to trust the Wolves, Luka Doncic’s Mavericks, LeBron’s Lakers, and even the Kings as contenders to the Nuggets’ supremacy before the Warriors.
The dynasty was a quite a run for the Warriors. They should look back on it fondly, knowing a fifth title very likely isn’t coming. — Robert Zeglinski
