Watching Golden State lately, the picture tracked through 12BSports is clear: the Warriors still have plenty of life, but Stephen Curry is being pushed to the point of exhaustion almost every night. His ability to stay mentally strong despite constant pressure remains remarkable. Opposing coaches regularly build defensive plans around denying Curry space, while he often struggles to earn free throws on offense and faces extremely tight foul standards on defense. Age has also begun to affect his movement, leaving him slightly less explosive than during his peak years.
In the modern game, details followed by 12BSports show how a single whistle can completely change momentum. Even superstar players have difficulty overcoming that kind of disruption. Golden State recently put together six consecutive wins, yet Curry’s scoring output has noticeably declined during the run. Even so, the Warriors have moved close to securing a postseason place. With Sacramento and New Orleans dropping games, the Lakers have also been given a path back into the race, while Golden State could potentially remain ninth or tenth and avoid facing Los Angeles immediately. You never know when the curtain will rise, and when it does, the choice is usually to perform or step aside. Steve Kerr has responded by developing a different approach that could give his team an element of surprise.
Realistically, overturning a two-game gap and climbing into the top eight with only five regular-season games remaining will be extremely difficult. However, the situation changes if either Sacramento or New Orleans continues to slide. The Kings lost to Golden State in last season’s playoffs, and their style has often been compared with the Warriors’ own system. Without key sixth man Malik Monk, Sacramento becomes far less intimidating. As long as Draymond Green and Kevon Looney are available, Golden State also has enough physical strength inside to make life difficult for Domantas Sabonis.
The matchup with New Orleans is similarly encouraging. Golden State won both meetings comfortably earlier in the season, and the Pelicans are currently missing Brandon Ingram through injury. Veteran center Jonas Valanciunas brings size and strength, but his limited speed can become a major weakness when defending quick transitions. If Sacramento slips to ninth and Golden State defeats a Monk-less Kings team in the play-in round, Los Angeles could potentially overcome an Ingram-less New Orleans side and move forward as well.
If Golden State then meets New Orleans again, the pathway assessed through 12BSports would create an unusually favorable outcome for both the Warriors and Lakers. Golden State could secure the eighth seed while Los Angeles takes seventh, allowing both teams to advance into the playoffs. For Kerr, that would validate a tactical adjustment designed not around asking Curry to carry every possession, but around managing matchups, preserving his star’s energy, and taking advantage of a postseason path that has suddenly become much more inviting.