The Golden State Warriors might not make the playoffs this year. For star, Stephen Curry, that doesn’t matter - but it is something that he (and everyone else) is paying attention to. There’s no more to prove necessarily, but Curry was never one to leave points on the table. There might be another surprise or two left in these old fellas.
And that’s why when the question was lobbed to him about his thoughts regarding the Warriors slim chances of even making the playoffs - much less causing problems once they got in there - Curry quickly stopped the interview. Those thoughts? It’s not that they don’t exist, but they will not be entertained as long as Stephen Curry has anything to do with it.
ESPN's Ramona Shelburne, fittingly enough, was the one who asked Curry, but it was actually coach Steve Kerr that initiated the thought. Expectations this season are lower.
Shelburne referenced coach Steve Kerr’s comments about entering a season with low expectations, saying nobody expected Golden State to reach the postseason.
[Duby’s note: don’t click this yet. Full interview for ease of access, but keep reading please]
Curry interrupted, raising his hands in disbelief.
“That’s how bad is that … to make the playoffs? We went from championship to … damn!” he said as laughter filled the room.
He followed that up by quickly standing up and walking out. “That’s what I think about that.” Curry doesn’t even want to be around this sort of question.
The critical thinkers amongst us will quickly point out the Shelburne’s question was phrased to be a touch inflammatory? Regardless, this is where the Warriors and Curry are at this year. Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody are both part of the long-term plan, but neither will be part of the day-to-day execution for months. Kristaps Porziņģis was recently ruled out indefinitely, which is about as troubling as it can get. The rest of the league has reshuffled with some additional consolidation of talent that makes the hill extra steep this year.
So here’s the link to click. Timestamped to the actual question and response. But generally, this was a much more nuanced conversation about what the lowered expectations does for Kerr as a coach. Is it more freedom? Would you try anything different now that there’s not a wide expectation?
But I’ve been thinking about endings a lot.
I just took my whole family to the anniversary showing of that old school Transformers movie. For those that don’t know, the beloved long-time voice of Optimus Prime recently passed away, and his last moment playing the role was this short post-credits scene.
It wasn’t the best thing ever, but it was extremely meaningful. I feel like there’s a parallel here. The Warriors are entering post-credits scene era. The story arc is complete mostly. With his recent extension, Curry is locked in to retire from the Warriors in another couple of years or so.
Do you know the word denouement?
A lot of my favorite stories have this. I’m realizing recently that a lot of my favorite experiences do too.
There’s a couple of really important music venues that are closing this year. One - Thee Parkside - is already gone. I’m busy these days. I live further away. I’m not entirely sure what my last show was at that venue, and that hurts a little.
The other one - Bottom of the Hill - is slated to close at the end of the year. I think I just went to my last show there last weekend. A banger featuring some of my favorite obscure punk bands. That experience filled up my soul. I got to go with my wife. Exchanged a bunch of downward-chin nods with a bunch of like-minded souls.
It’s a little melancholy. Watching the end of the story fade. But there’s something wistful about it too that fills me up. This season, with Draymond Green and Curry coming back yet again, against the odds (again). It’s kind of what I’m here for. I assume if you’re reading this, it’s what you’re here for as well. What else can this timeline give us?
We got this memory.
Absolutely crazy that Andre Iguodala isn’t even in frame. The entire photo folder is a wistful, refreshing breeze from the past.
There’s no similar images for this season, this was the best that I could find on short notice:
I joke. But AI slop aside1, there’s a fundamentally different landscape underlying this season. Maybe this is the last dance year. Curry took a bit of a discount, but the salary structure here is still fairly heavy at the top end, while needing to look at the bottom of the roster for the leaps needed to stay relevant.
At some point in the near future, we are all going to look back on this wondering when exactly you knew. That last championship memory is vivid, but it’s not going to be the last glimpse of promise we get here. This is, for better or worse, that sweet spot. The Pearl. The moment that the Sun is setting. It’s fleeting, and you won’t always know where the nostalgia begins and the current experience ends.
This preseason is about to open up. I’m legitimately excited about this. Kerr has only had one losing season in his entire tenure with Golden State, and this doesn’t feel like a second. The most interesting new addition has got to be Yaxel Okari Lendeborg - the Warriors 11th pick. This is what we all hope for in the end of our favorite stories: a closing of one chapter, but the hints of the opening of a new one.
Not necessarily because the Warriors are going to win anything. Not necessarily because this is the final season, or because there’s some dramatic ending waiting for us around the corner.
Just because there are fewer and fewer of these left.
The last show at Thee Parkside. The last night at Bottom of the Hill. The last time you see a band you love without knowing it’s the last time. The last time Steph walks onto the floor and you get to watch him do something that, for so long, felt like it would always be there.
That’s the thing about a denouement. You don’t always recognize it while you’re living through it.
You just know you’re there.
And so I’m going to watch. And I thank you, DNHQ for being part of this.
I’m going to go to the shows. I’m going to exchange the dumb little downward nods with strangers. I’m going to watch Steph and Draymond run it back one more time. I’m going to complain about the roster and yell at the television and convince myself that maybe, somehow, there’s still one more surprise left. And I’m really looking forward to seeing you all around.
Because maybe that’s what this part is for.
Not proving anything.
What has happened to Google image search?!