The Warriors have already won

MINNEAPOLIS — The Warriors could get swept by the Minnesota Timberwolves, and it wouldn’t matter. This season is already a success. 

By advancing past the Rockets and into the Western Conference Semifinals with a thrilling Game 7, the Warriors have made May Steph Curry’s favorite word: meaningful. That’s what anyone could realistically ask for. 

With the way this season was going and given the stage of Golden State’s dynasty, any winning at this level is found money. Curry is still putting together brilliant performances on the biggest stages, Draymond Green is still putting on defensive clinics, and newbie Jimmy Butler rescued the franchise from impending mediocrity. 

All three stars are in the latter half of their 30s. The Curry championship era is in its 11th season. And here the Warriors are, one of eight teams still standing. 

Michael Jordan’s Bulls disintegrated after a decade. The Larry Bird Celtics had a nine-year title contention run. Magic Johnson’s Lakers were in the mix from 1980 to 1991. 

So many great teams in the past would have disbanded by now. Or decayed. Or retired. Or broken down or tangoed their Last Dance. Instead, the Warriors’ braintrust of Curry, Green and Steve Kerr is still kicking.

To beat the Rockets, Curry rose against one of the toughest defenses he’s ever faced to lead the Warriors in total points, rebounds and assists. Green came up with a signature, game-sealing stop that will go on his career highlight reel. Buddy Hield tied a Game 7 record with nine 3-pointers and won’t have to buy a beer in the Bay Area for the rest of his life. Golden State broke Houston’s heart for a fifth time. 

The magical championship run in 2022 was a perfect storybook ending, but the stubborn Warriors are insisting on writing more chapters. 

Six months ago, in the north shore of Hawaii during training camp, Kerr went on a mini diatribe about “#Ringz Culture” that especially resonates now. 

“To modern sports fandom, everything is ‘Win the championship or nothing else matters,’” Kerr said. “But it’s really not true. What matters is do you have a good team? Do you have a team that your fans love watching? Do you have a team that, ‘Hey, we’ve got a shot.’ Let’s be scrappy, let’s be tough as hell. Let’s have a team that brings a lot of juice, a lot of energy, a lot of joy. This is not a zero-sum game.” 

A Larry O’Brien trophy isn’t a prerequisite to a good outcome. 

Kerr, a 10-time champion, has been right about a lot of things (an incomprehensive list: taking the Warriors job over the Knicks, putting Andrew Bogut on Tony Allen, replacing David Lee in the starting lineup with Green, getting off social media, Jonathan Kuminga). Add his championship-or-bust take to the list. 

To be sure, the Warriors internally are eyeing a fifth title. They’ve been winning championships since Anthony Edwards was in middle school, and they don’t intend to stop now. Just ask Green, who declared the Warriors were title bound at All-Star weekend. 

That Green was even in a position to plausibly call his shot there was a testament to the dynasty-extending trade Mike Dunleavy swung for Butler. Dynasties have shelf lives, and Butler has been a preservative pushing the Warriors past their expiration date. 

“Hell, I think any team has the chance when I’m on the team,” Butler said. “But I know that every team has a chance when Steph’s on the team. I get to play Robin, that’s my Batman.” 

That kind of home-run trade saved the Warriors’ season and has made up for past missteps and circumstances. 

There have been plenty of those. 

The Warriors’ dynasty should’ve ended with Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson’s catastrophic injuries. It should’ve ended with Thompson’s 0-for-10 play-in performance last year and his subsequent departure. It should’ve ended with the Jordan Poole punch. 

It should’ve ended with the failed two-timeline plan. The Warriors had a unique chance to extend their dynasty with a slew of lottery picks based on a combination of luck and cunning. They ended up with James Wiseman (bust),  Moses Moody (C+) and Kuminga (bound for a mutually assured change of scenery), plus Poole (punched) and Brandin Podziemski (okay!). 

To whiff so hard on that chance to extend the dynasty with new talent and still be in the Western Conference semifinals is a remarkable feat. The way they played their cards, it’s pretty close to the best-case scenario. 

Dunleavy’s Butler trade was the ace in the hole.

They might not be done yet, either. But if they are, the Warriors have already succeeded.