Inside The Warriors

Golden State Warriors NBA Champion Makes Bold Statement Before Season

The Warriors have low expectations from the national media.

Joey Linn

Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry and guard Gary Payton II (0) after the game against the Los Angeles Lakers at Crypto.com Arena.
Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry and guard Gary Payton II (0) after the game against the Los Angeles Lakers at Crypto.com Arena. / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
In this story:

The Golden State Warriors won an NBA championship in 2022. This was the fourth title for Golden State in this dynasty era.

Since defeating the Boston Celtics in the 2022 NBA Finals, the Warriors have won just one playoff series. Falling to the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2023 Western Conference Semifinals, Golden State followed that by missing the playoffs entirely last season.

Trending in the wrong direction, the Warriors have very low expectations from the national media. Many outlets have Golden State missing the playoffs again.

Via Bleacher Report: "The prediction is that they finish barely above .500, but give the Warriors a wide variance because of No. 30."

Stephen Curry
Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) takes a portrait during Media Day at the Chase Center. / Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

Speaking on 95.7 The Game’s Willard and Dibs show, Warriors guard and 2022 NBA champion Gary Payton pushed back against predictions like this.

“They said in '22 we were on a downfall,” Payton said. “’Warriors are done.' I'm sure they're saying it even more now... I think we're going to shock a lot of people. I think we'll do some damage in the West."

While Payton has a point, this feels different than the 2022 season. While Golden State undoubtedly outperformed expectations that year, they also got an All-Star season from Andrew Wiggins, the long awaited injury return of Klay Thompson, and the best season of Jordan Poole’s career.

Related Articles

Draymond Green's Reaction to Steph Curry's Incredible Shot in USA-France Goes Viral

Boston Celtics Legend Slams Steve Kerr for Controversial Jayson Tatum Decision

Caitlin Clark's Two-Word Reaction to Steph Curry's Performance in USA-France

Published
Joey Linn
JOEY LINN

Title: Credentialed writer covering the NBA for Sports Illustrated's FanNation Email: joeylinn52@gmail.com Education: Communication Studies degree from Biola University Location: Los Angeles, California Expertise: NBA analysis and reporting Experience: Joey Linn is a credentialed writer covering the NBA for Sports Illustrated's FanNation. Covering the LA Clippers independently in 2018, then for Fansided and 213Hoops from 2019-2021, Joey joined Sports Illustrated's FanNation to cover the Clippers after the 2020-21 season. Graduating from Biola University in 2022 with a Communication Studies degree, Joey served as Biola's play-by-play announcer for their basketball, baseball, softball, and soccer teams during his time in school. Joey's work on Biola's broadcasts, combined with his excellence in the classroom, earned him the Outstanding Communication Studies Student of the year award in 2022. Joey covers the NBA full-time across multiple platforms, primarily serving as a credentialed Clippers beat writer.

Home/News