Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr believes his squad is well-positioned to make a postseason run after securing the No. 10 seed in the West, citing their recent form and positive locker room energy.
"I'm really happy with the way it unfolded over the last couple of months. We were in disarray for a while, early in the season, trying to find ourselves. A lot of guys stepped up not only on the court but off the court and in the locker room. We have a really good connection on this team, good chemistry, guys pulling for each other, and putting in the work. I have a good feeling about what's ahead. I think we still have a chance to do something special."
Kerr noted that he does have a tricky situation to overcome, with the Warriors needing to win two road games just to secure a spot in the playoffs.
"Obviously, it's the NCAA tournament, you have to get out of the first weekend here and win the first two to get to the first round, but we have a shot, so we're excited about that."
The Warriors' late-season run, which saw them put together a record of 26-12 since February, was not enough to outpace the teams ahead of them. The Lakers ended the season with a one-game lead over Golden State to secure the No. 8 seed and the easier play-in berth, while the Kings fell from top-six contenders a month ago to the No. 9 seed heading into the Play-In.
The Warriors won a Game 7 in the Kings' home arena last season and will be confident in their ability to pull off another big win in the Golden 1 Center to face the loser of the 7-8 matchup for the final playoff spot.
Will The Warriors Make The Playoffs?
Golden State did everything they could through the end of the season to secure their spot in the playoffs, including a recent six-game win streak. However, one loss was all it took for them to lose the position they had gained on the Lakers and be relegated to the No. 10 seed with a one-game difference despite owning the tiebreaker over them.
The last time Golden State was in the Play-In was in 2021, as they shockingly lost two games to crash from the No. 8 seed in the standings to out of the playoff entirely. They did rebound the next season with a championship, so it's impossible to count them out.
The Warriors will be favored over the Kings not only because of their history but also because of Malik Monk's injury. If they win that, they'll have to play the final Play-In game against either the Lakers or Pelicans in their arena.
The Warriors have shown their ability to beat the Lakers, but it might be a far more challenging matchup with both teams healthy, especially if we're looking at what happened in the second round of the 2023 playoffs. Unless they have a historic shooting night, the Warriors don't match up particularly well against the Lakers.
The Pelicans are entering the Play-In with good health, as Brandon Ingram returned to the lineup today. The Warriors don't match up well against them, so if they can enter the playoffs and face the No. 1 seed OKC Thunder in the first round will be dependent on what magic Stephen Curry and his teammates can conjure up in the Play-In.
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