Let’s see how Golden State stacks up against the rest of the West.
The Golden State Warriors are enjoying a much-needed break, and basking in the glory of a very successful All-Star weekend. They still get a few days to rest their weary legs before they have to look ahead … but we’ll get started on that task now.
It’s been a while since I did a standings check-in, to see where the Warriors sit in the Western Conference as they jockey for playoff positioning. The Warriors aren’t in a great place, and they’re running out of games, but they’ve also looked like a transformed team since trading for Jimmy Butler III … a team so transformed that it’s led to Draymond Green predicting a championship.
But there’s a lot to happen between here and there. The Dubs still have 28 games to play before we worry about the postseason. Here’s where things stand at the break — all net ratings are garbage-time adjusted, courtesy of Cleaning The Glass.
The Playoff Teams
1. Oklahoma City Thunder — 44-10 record, +14.1 net rating (1st in the NBA)
Warriors record vs. Thunder: 2-1
Games remaining vs. Thunder: 0
OKC is the class of the West. They’re a staggering eight games ahead of the second seed, and only just welcomed Chet Holmgren back after a three-month absence. They’re the team to beat.
The good news? The Warriors have played the Thunder better than anybody this year. They’ve won two of the three matchups, with the lone loss being a nail-biter that Steph Curry didn’t play in. I think I speak for every basketball fan when I say that I’m holding out for a Warriors vs. Thunder playoff matchup … just hopefully not in the first round.
2. Memphis Grizzlies — 36-18 record, +7.8 net rating (4th in the NBA)
Warriors record vs. Grizzlies: 2-1
Games remaining vs. Grizzlies: 1
Golden State’s performance against Memphis has been comical this year. In three games against the Grizzlies, the Warriors have won twice … and lost by 51 points. There’s certainly no lost love there, which is probably only increased by the trade for Butler, since reportedly Memphis was the lone team he was unwilling to be traded to.
3. Denver Nuggets — 36-19 record, +6.0 net rating (6th in the NBA)
Warriors record vs. Nuggets: 0-1
Games remaining vs. Nuggets: 2
A Curry vs. Nikola Jokić matchup would certainly be fun in the playoffs, though it’s hard to get a gauge on how the matchup would go. Denver hasn’t been fully locked in this year, and the Dubs have only played them once.
4. Houston Rockets — 34-21 record, +5.0 net rating (7th in the NBA)
Warriors record vs. Rockets: 3-1
Games remaining vs. Rockets: 0
Even without the Butler trade, there’s a clear difference between this year’s Warriors and last year’s Warriors: Golden State has much better performance against the team’s at the top of the conference this time around (that’s encouraging, albeit extremely frustrating, as well). So far they’ve had Houston’s number, with only a controversial call keeping them from a clean sweep thus far. They’ve been close games though, with the four contests decided by a combined 20 points. They’ll face off once more in April … and perhaps another 4-7 times after that.
5. Los Angeles Lakers — 32-20 record, +1.5 net rating (11th in the NBA)
Warriors record vs. Lakers: 0-3
Games remaining vs. Lakers: 1
The Lakers have had the Warriors number so far this year, but the games have been compelling … and we’ve yet to see them with Luka Dončić, while they’ve yet to face the Dubs with Butler.
6. LA Clippers — 31-23 record, +2.6 net rating (10th in the NBA)
Warriors record vs. Clippers: 0-3
Games remaining vs. Clippers: 1
Golden State is a combined 0-6 against teams from Los Angeles. What, exactly, is going on?? Realistically, the Clippers are probably the team the Warriors are aiming to catch in the standings before the season ends.
The play-in teams
7. Minnesota Timberwolves — 31-25 record, +4.0 net rating (8th in the NBA)
Warriors record vs. Wolves: 3-1
Games remaining vs. Wolves: 0
The Timberwolves are starting to figure things out. Over their last 13 games, they’re 9-4 … and three of those four losses have been by just two points each. The Dubs have played them very well this year, and you know Green would love a chance to beat Rudy Gobert in the postseason.
8. Dallas Mavericks — 30-26 record, +2.6 net rating (9th in the NBA)
Warriors record vs. Mavs: 1-2
Games remaining vs. Mavs: 1
The Warriors are hoping and praying that the loss to the Mavericks right before the break doesn’t come back to haunt them. They’ll get a chance at revenge soon, though, as Dallas pays a visit to the Chase Center on Sunday.
9. Sacramento Kings — 28-27 record, +0.4 net rating (14th in the NBA)
Warriors record vs. Kings: 0-2
Games remaining vs. Kings: 2
The Warriors will get a chance to leapfrog the Kings right out of the break, as they start the post-All-Star schedule with a visit to Sacramento on Friday. You’ve got to assume that the Warriors should finish the season ahead of the Kings, after Sacramento essentially swapped De’Aaron Fox for Zach LaVine.
10. Golden State Warriors — 28-27 record, -0.1 net rating (16th in the NBA)
Games behind the playoff teams: 3.5
This is not where the Warriors intended to be in mid-February, but it’s where they are. The silver lining is that they have looked like a different team since Butler’s arrival. Despite only playing road games, they’re 3-1 with a +10.0 net rating since Butler showed up. Now they have to prove it’s sustainable, and make a run.
The lottery teams
11. Phoenix Suns — 26-28 record, -2.1 net rating (20th in the NBA)
Warriors record vs. Suns: 1-2
Games remaining vs. Suns: 1
I’ll admit to being lower on Phoenix than most, but I still didn’t see them being outside the playoff picture, with a losing record, and a nearly bottom-10 net rating. Things have been in disarray in Phoenix ever since the trade deadline rumors swirled … rumors which included both Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal. Ever since crushing the Warriors on January 31, the Suns are 1-6, with their lone win being an overtime victory over the lowly Jazz. We’ll see if they can put things back together.
12. San Antonio Spurs — 23-29 record, -2.4 net rating (21st in the NBA)
Warriors record vs. Spurs: 0-1
Games remaining vs. Spurs: 2
You can’t rule out a run by the Spurs, now that they’ve added Fox to their star duo of Chris Paul and Victor Wembanyama. But given the teams ahead of them, and the hole they’re in, it would take quite an effort to get into the play-in tournament.
13. Portland Trail Blazers — 23-32 record, -6.1 net rating (25th in the NBA)
Warriors record vs. Blazers: 1-0
Games remaining vs. Blazers: 2
The space between the Spurs and Blazers is where the cutoff of contention is. You can envision San Antonio making a push and winding up in the postseason; you can rule that out for Portland. The Blazers and the next two teams matter to the Warriors only with regards to how many times they play each other.
14. Utah Jazz — 13-41 record, -6.8 net rating (27th in the NBA)
Warriors record vs. Jazz: 2-1
Games remaining vs. Jazz: 0
Sadly the Dubs are done playing Utah until next season. They did lose once to the Jazz, but that was a few minutes after finding out that Andrew Wiggins had been traded, when the team just didn’t seem at all present … understandably.
15. New Orleans Pelicans — 13-42 record, -9.9 net rating (29th in the NBA)
Warriors record vs. Pelicans: 3-0
Games remaining vs. Pelicans: 1
It’s been about the worst season imaginable for New Orleans, who finally ended their failed Brandon Ingram-Zion Williamson-CJ McCollum core by trading Ingram at the deadline. They’re still dangerous if Williamson is healthy (sadly always a big “if”), but they should also be an easy win for the Dubs come late March.
And that’s where things sit as we kick off the second half of the season. Should be a whole lot of movement in the coming weeks and months.