Where Warriors 29-26 stand at All-Star break: ‘Plenty to play for’

SAN FRANCISCO – A breeze of relief could be felt through every hallway of the Chase Center after Defeat of the Golden State Warriors 126-113 at the San Antonio Spurs, their last game before the All-Star break.

The Dubs have had their share of losses this season, but this one felt acceptable. They fought hard against the two-seed Spurs, just like they did without them Stephen Curry last week and just as they have the last 11 games since Jimmy Butler was lost for the season.

There was satisfaction and satisfaction in the way they stood as a team, as the players and coaches packed their bags for the All-Star break and waved their temporary hasta la vistas, because it’s been one hell of a rollercoaster through these 55 games.

“A lot has happened,” a weary Steve Kerr concisely. “With Jimmy’s injury and the trade. We have a chance to win.”
recharge here during the break and come back. I have something to play for.”

To say the All-Star break is coming at the right time for Golden State is an understatement. Through the first four months of the season, the Warriors have endured almost everything a basketball team can imagine. From injuries and inconsistent play to front office drama and trade rumors, it’s been an eventful year for aging dynasties on their last legs.

But given everything that’s happened, with the devastation of Butler’s ACL tear at the fore, the Warriors seem comfortable where they are with the All-Star break and 27 games to go.

“Obviously, we’re going to have to get Kristaps (Porzingis) involved, get Steph back, and we feel like we can be a really good team. And I think our guys are showing why by competing and moving the ball and playing together.”

When will Kristaps Porzingis make his debut and when will Steph Curry return?

The general plan is to use the off week to get Porzingis and Curry right for the Boston Celtics, the first game after the All-Star break.

Since joining Golden State in the Jonathan Kuminga, Buddy Hield trade, the Warriors have slowly ramped up Porzingis’ activity. Achilles tendinitis and POTS have plagued Porzingis, affecting his availability, a risk factor in a trade. However, the The Warriors are optimistic about Porzingis’ healthwith Kerr stating that they wouldn’t have made this trade unless they were sure it would keep him healthy.

During this week, Porzingis made incremental progress to get back into basketball shape. He began the week with individual work and evaluation with Rick Celebrini, vice president of player health and performance, before moving into three-on-three drills. And as of this writing, Porzingis has gotten some five-on-five work in the half court. As for Curry, who suffers from patellofemoral pain syndrome (runner’s knee), Kerr said it remains day-to-day but continues to feel better every day.

When Porzingis debuts and Curry returns, it will be a 27-game sprint to the finish line, with hopes of climbing up from the eighth seed and out of the playoffs. The Warriors found themselves in a similar situation. Last season, after Butler’s trade deadline hit, the Dubs found themselves 25-26 and in danger of falling out of the 10th seed in the West. However, they rallied to finish 23-8, earning the seventh seed and a matchup against the Houston Rockets.

The vibe as the Warriors head into the break

Obviously, they won’t have Butler for this final sprint after the All-Star break is on the horizon. But there seems to be a strange lightness about the team as they embark on a tropical vacation. Perhaps the incoming trips to Cabo will affect your vibe, but their play of late has given them real confidence for the task at hand.

“I think everybody in this locker room has worked really hard,” De’Anthony Melton said as he reflected on this first stretch of the season. “We’ve had three different teams this year. Some guys had some bigger roles and had to step up when, you know, sometimes they expected it. But I think by going to all-stars, I just told the guys to recover. Get back, clear your mind. Just figure it out.”

In the absence of Curry and Butler, guys like Melton stepped up and played inspired basketball. To get down to the list – Gui Santos made a real jump lately with his energetic two-way game. Moses Moody has turned into a true outside scoring threat, scoring in double figures in 14 of his last 15 games. And Al Horford is finally healthy and limber, resulting in the stretch center they were hoping for when they signed him.

So even though they’ve gone 4-7 since Butler went down, the Warriors have shown enough grit, fight and spirit to make sure they can still be something this season.

“Success will come,” Kerr said, “if we continue the process we’ve shown.