`DEEPEST' CONFERENCE MAKING PUSH FOR PLAYOFFS A STRUGGLE
Despite playing well, Golden State hasn't made much headway in a cramped West
On Feb. 22, the Warriors were 27-26 and in 10th place.
Three weeks later, the Warriors are 33-29 … and in a virtual tie for 10th place.
Thursday's 125-122 loss to the Bulls was a double whammy for the Warriors. Above them in the standings, the Mavericks, Kings and Suns each won. It was a snapshot of how a cluttered play-in picture has made it difficult for the Warriors to progress.
Even after turning around their season with an 11-3 February and going 6-3 since the All-Star break, the Warriors remain staunchly in the play-in round. Their playoff probability has risen only modestly since the break, from 48.6% to 58.9% — from a coin flip to sitting in the dealer seat at a blackjack table.
They control their own destiny, but just barely. Per Basketball Reference's playoff probabilities report, the Warriors have a 12.5% chance of escaping the play-in round of seeds seven through 10.
The severity of Steph Curry's ankle injury threatens to further complicate the team's stated goal of snatching the No. 6 seed. But no matter how healthy their superstar is, the parity at the bottom half of the Western Conference will be a serious obstacle.
“This is the deepest that I've ever seen either conference, I would say,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said this week. “Because night after night, it feels like you're swimming upstream. Everybody's good.”
The teams seeded six through 10 the Warriors are competing with are the Mavericks, Suns, Kings and Lakers. Of those teams, only the Warriors and Kings (5-3) have played over .500 ball since the All-Star break. But none have bottomed out.
“I think we won like 13 out of 16 and we're still in 10th,” Kerr said.