The Warriors: Count It
Even after last night's unsatisfying loss to the Utah Jazz in the SLC, we're calling it right now -- cancel your reservations at the midtown Manhattan Day's Inn, cuz' ain't gonna' be no Warriors representative at this year's NBA Lottery. After 12 years, THE STREAK IS OVER -- your Golden State Warriors will make the playoffs this year as the number eight seed in the Western Conference.
Unlike Monte Poole or Tim Kawakami, there is no "will they or won't they" coming from SFist. This is a done deal. Their season-long fever has broken just in time, and the Warriors are playing the kind of ball they need to play, when they need to play it -- like late in the game, like late in the season.
Though now tied with the Clippers after Tuesday night's action, for almost one whole week now, your Golden State Warriors have been proud owners of the number eight playoff spot in the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association (give that line a little Cosell when you read it). And they're gold Jerry, gold!
Really, the Warriors should be about five games out of the playoffs right now, but for once, fate is on their side. Just as the Warriors have started to play well, going 6-2 in the last 8 games, the rest of the Western Conference midpackers have completely collapsed. The Clippers have lost 14 of their last 21 games; the Timberwolves 15 of 21; the Kings 12 of 19; the Sonics 14 of 23; the Hornets 8 of their last 11. Fine, if nobody else wants it, the Warriors are more than happy to snatch up el ocho. No, not that ocho pasado, not until the second round of the playoffs, that is.
This year's Warriors are proving themselves when it counts -- during the playoff push. Poster image from GoldenStateofMind.com.
Also for once, the Warriors have been helping themselves with timely, critical victories, including wins over the Clippers, Timberwolves, and most recently, Sunday's playoff-caliber gutcheck win on the road over Seattle. Even their defense is coming around.
The Dubs have 13 games left to play; 7 at home, 6 away. Eight of those games are against .500 teams, including Dallas (piece of cake), San Antonio (twice), Utah, Phoenix, and Houston. Ordinarily, we'd think, "yikes! it's over," but this year, it's more like, "yes!, it's over." We could lose all of six of those tough games and still walk into the playoffs because everybody else sucks that bad. As long as the Warriors take care of Memphis (twice), Sacramento, Portland, Minnesota, and throw in the Lakers for payback, the playoffs are going to happen.
Right now, the only other team that even has a chance at the eight spot is the Clippers, but they've been dropping like a stone ever since the Shawn Livingston nightmare (karma forbids us from linking to a YouTube clip of it). Everybody else in the WC is Melba. Eh, maybe Nawklohoma can make a run -- they have the fewest number of games versus teams with .500 records remaining. Naw, it's over.
That's right Warriors fans, you can come out of the closet and hop aboard the bandwagon -- it's safe to be a Warriors fan again.
The only bad thing about this situation is it will serve to further validate the unrequited Cult of Nellie. Oh well, one battle at a time, first things first. As in the first round of the playoffs.