Brandin Podziemski finds the silver lining after the Warriors' loss to the Lakers.
The Golden State Warriors are limping down the home stretch of the regular season, but they've still got some hope to cling onto.
Despite the 119-103 loss they suffered in their home finale on Thursday to the Lakers, being locked into the 10th seed has allowed them to remain focused on the upcoming Play-In games. Additionally, the entire roster knows it's less about the outcome of these final week of games, and more about getting their stars healthy and ready to go for the truly important games.
Players like Steph Curry, Kristaps Porzingis, Al Horford, and more all missed the Lakers game, but if they return to play these last couple of games of the season and get in the groove, the Warriors feel good about their chances to steal two road games in the Play-In Tournament.
Brandin Podziemski Finds Silver Lining In Loss
After the loss, Brandin Podziemski revealed his silver lining and how he keeps a positive outlook heading into the Play-In.
"I mean, we got Steph. That solves a lot of it. But also, I think like I mentioned earlier, we got a lot of winners. KP’s won a championship, Al’s won a championship, Steph and Dray. Then we got vets that have won championships, Gary. And so, I like our chances when it comes to the one-game situation."
Even at the college level, guys like Will Richard and LJ Cryer were in the national championship just a year ago. Compared to a team like the Trail Blazers, who are largely devoid of championship or even playoff experience in either the NBA or college outside of a couple of players, it may prove to be the edge the Warriors need.
Warriors Need To Find Bearings With Curry
It's obvious that Steph Curry is going to be the catalyst of any major postseason success for the Warriors. Whether it's by having a massive scoring game or by warping the defense so much that other players can have big games, Curry is going to be the focal point.
The final two games of the season will be huge for the Dubs to get some chemistry and time to mesh.
With Curry, the Warriors are now 24-17 on the season, good for a 48-win pace across 82 games, which would place them just above the Timberwolves for the 6th seed in the Western Conference this year.
On the other hand, the Warriors without Curry are just 13-26. That's a 27-win pace, and though that'd technically still leave them in the 10th seed due to how bad the rest of the Western Conference is this year, the Warriors would probably be way more likely to be tanking than competing if in that situation.
Friday's game against the Kings and Sunday's game against the Clippers should see Curry play both games, alongside a good chunk, if not all of the rotation that Steve Kerr would like to use in the Play-In game. This is a prime opportunity for them to build a bit of momentum heading into two tough road games to make it into the playoffs.