Despite hot streak, Warriors could still fall back into play-in tournament

Flaunting a 14-3 record since the acquisition of Jimmy Butler, many seem to be slowly, but surely, buying into the Golden State Warriors as legitimate title contenders again.

Following a strong 12-3 start to the season, the Warriors were in somewhat of a free fall for much of December and January, falling multiple games below .500 on numerous occasions. Since the insertion of Butler into the lineup, however, the Warriors have seamlessly found their early-season form and once again look the part of a team that could make a deep playoff run. 

Despite all the Warriors' positive momentum, however, their playoff aspirations are far from set in stone. Yes, they’ve been one of the hottest teams since the trade deadline, but in the Western Conference, that only means so much. 

The Warriors have done an admirable job to vault themselves up to a top-six seed, but the play-in tournament still looms large. Despite Golden State’s red-hot play of late — touting an 8-2 record in its last 10 games — the Warriors are still just one game out of the play-in tournament. 

The equally-hot seventh-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves — 8-2 over the course of their last 10 games as well — are hot on Golden State's heels. 

While everyone seems eager to buy back Warriors stock, convinced by their reinvigorated look with Butler, it's important to remember that this team still starts and stops with Stephen Curry. When Curry is not right, the Warriors still have little hope of hanging with any sort of a meaningful opponent. 

Just take the Warriors’ loss to the Denver Nuggets on Monday for example. Denver was without perennial MVP-candidate Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray and Christian Braun, but, because in large part because of a rough night from Curry, the Warriors fell — on their home court no less — to the short-handed Nuggets.