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Golden State Warriors: Resiliency proving to be best quality

By Marc Princi

OAKLAND, CA - MAY 1: Barry Bonds and Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors after Game Two of the Western Conference Semifinals against the New Orleans Pelicans during the 2018 NBA Playoffs on May 1, 2018 at ORACLE Arena in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images)
OAKLAND, CA - MAY 1: Barry Bonds and Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors after Game Two of the Western Conference Semifinals against the New Orleans Pelicans during the 2018 NBA Playoffs on May 1, 2018 at ORACLE Arena in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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As the league’s benchmark team over the past few seasons, the Golden State Warriors have arguably faced more adversity than they ever have since this dynasty began. The Warriors are becoming more resilient, and it’s paying dividends.

The Golden State Warriors are dominating out on the court once again, as everything finally falls into place at the most important time of the year.

By way of record and injuries, this has been the team’s worst season in the Steve Kerr era, being that they failed to reach 60 wins.

However, they were hammered with injuries to most of their squad. Considering this, 58 wins is a great accomplishment, but none of that matters now. What matters is how they got here, and how they’ve responded to adversity this season. The real season has only just begun.

Overcoming adversity

The Warriors aren’t too familiar with adversity and the need to be resilient. They’ve been the league’s best team, and for the most part, have stayed injury-free. This year changed all of that and began to cast doubt over Golden State’s ongoing success. Two major factors have threatened them this year — better competition and constant injury woes.

For the first time in the Kerr era, the Warriors were unable to finish first in the Western Conference. The Houston Rockets took that mantle. The West as a whole was a lot more competitive, particularly the top 10 teams. The Eastern Conference also saw teams such as the Boston Celtics and Toronto Raptors improve significantly.

The increased competitiveness of some of the NBA’s better teams proved to be a bump in the road for the Warriors, and while many believe the Warriors were coasting, the truth is the league as a whole got better too.

The injuries were undoubtedly the biggest hindrance to the Warriors’ success this year. Stephen Curry only played 51 games, and a number of the team’s other stars missed significant time as well. The Warriors have slowly repaired as a whole, and with the return of Curry in Game 2 of the Western Conference semifinals, the team is finally ready for its run to the Finals.

Taking things to another level

The Warriors have now launched themselves into playoff mode, and it’s safe to say this is the best they’ve played all season. They cruised through Round 1 against the San Antonio Spurs in a 4-1 series win, and comfortably handled the New Orleans Pelicans in Game 1 without Curry. That game was arguably the Dubs’ best of the season, and it truly looked like the team we saw breeze through the playoffs last year.

Game 2 saw the Warriors welcome back Curry, and while it was a tight win, they pretty seamlessly welcomed him back into the fold. Curry was actually the best on the floor, with a plus/minus of +26. The next best was Kevon Looney with +7. The important thing here is the Warriors are finding different ways of winning. That’s what they’ll need as they face different challenges throughout the playoff run.

Next: Full two-round 2018 NBA Mock Draft

The Warriors head to New Orleans for Games 3 and 4 in search of a sweep, after holding down the fort at home. The Pelicans are no mean feat, and a sweep will be a tall task. However, if the Dubs can continue to find different ways to win, they’ll be a very tough team to beat. They’ve done the hard yards in getting everyone back and healthy, and they’ve fended off some formidable opponents. Now they’ve got to remind the world that they’re the best team in the world.

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