Kendrick Perkins says why the Golden State Warriors are dark horses to win the NBA championship

Perkins believes in the Warriors’ chances

A core group of Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, Jimmy Butler, and Al Horford might be older, but they are ready to compete. After the Warriors scored a big win over the Nuggets that involved a strong Horford performance, Perkins had nothing but praise for the Warriors. For a team that had high hopes for the season, they have done well to fight for their chances.

It is difficult to thrive in the Western Conference, but the Warriors know what it takes to stand out. With what they have done early on, Steve Kerr’s team is prepared to surpass expectations and potentially capitalize on the small window the Warriors are operating under.

Since Perkins is familiar with how the Warriors work, he sees them potentially succeeding. He did not brand them as favorites; he likes their chances of winning a title if given the opportunity.

“The Warriors are my sleepers to win it all. The determination, the want, the will. Stephen Curry, that lightskin brother with the green eyes last night, for three-and-a-half quarters, I thought Denver would eventually pull away with this game,” Perkins said on NBA Today.

“For him to step up and do what he did, overshadowing Aaron Gordon’s historic night, 50 points. (Nikola) Jokic with a 21-point triple-double, Jamal Murray with 25 points, and I’m watching him, Steve Kerr, Jimmy Butler, and Draymond, they are embodying and trusting in Jonathan Kuminga.”

“He was in the game late in the fourth quarter and overtime. On top of that, I saw Steve Kerr draw up the play for him in overtime. I said, ‘Oh, they’re clicking. They’re together, they have one agenda and one goal that’s led by Stephen Curry.’ They are my sleepers to win it all.”

The Warriors will always have a shot

As long as they can work hard to reach the Playoffs, the Warriors are a tough team to play against. In the 2025 Playoffs, they were the seventh seed, but they still beat the Houston Rockets in the first round.

With their experience and talent, the Warriors can keep proving themselves as one of the best teams in the league. They know about the age criticism, but they are ready to prove everyone wrong. If they can keep cementing themselves as a top team, Golden State could recapture their magic in the postseason.

They lost in their third game in a blowout to the Portland Trail Blazers, but it was on the second night of a back-to-back. In fact, the first leg was the grueling overtime win against Denver.

It will be tough, but the Warriors are always prepared. With Perkins hyping them up, it should not be a surprise that Golden State is entering the game with a strong chance of succeeding yet again.