The Warriors won three in a row and somehow it feels terrible

Steph might be done for the year, Moses is out, and the wins came against teams that would rather be golfing. And yet, there were actual reasons to feel something.

This upside down Warriors season is forcing Dub Nation to confront a lot of difficult questions:

Will Jonathan Kuminga ever put it all together? How many shooting guards is too many shooting guards? What is POTS? Is Draymond Green completely washed? Does Steve Kerr know how to develop young players? What would we do without Rick Celebrini? Is winning in the play-in the best we can do? Should a team with Stephen Curry really tank?

And most recently, is it possible for the first three-game win streak in months to make you feel worse about your team?

Some of those questions have probable answers: five shooting guards is probably too many shooting guards, Rick Celebrini is probably the second most important person in the organization behind Steph, etc.. Some are open to interpretation. But that last question has a definitive answer.

Beating the Mavericks, Nets and then the Wizards on Friday night at Chase Center gave Golden State their first three-game win streak since the loss of Jimmy Butler, and the vibes around the team are at near-record lows. Most of that is the tragic loss of Moses Moody, but the injury news got even worse yesterday before the game. Steve Kerr acknowledged what many of us have suspected and feared for a while, that Steph Curry may not be able to return at all this season. For the truly pessimistic amongst the fanbase, this wasn’t really a surprise. But hearing it out of the coach’s mouth makes it feel more real, and shifts the calculus about tanking and the value of draft picks versus the potential joy of a play-in victory.

To top it off, it’s difficult to truly feel invigorated by three wins when they come against objectively bad teams who are already eliminated from playoff contention and would prefer to lose. It’s even tougher when those wins all feature clutch situations instead of the blowouts the matchups might have promised.

And yet, there are always silver linings to be found if you look closely enough. For a game where they gave up a 16-point lead to a 17-win team, the Warriors had a number of inspiring performances and good moments.

Gui Santos’ revelatory stretch continued with a hyper-efficient 27 point night. He’s consistently getting to the free throw line, where he shot 8/9, and was over 60% from both the field and behind the arc. He’s started to mix in a nifty hook shot that displays his team-best footwork (amongst healthy players), and he served as one of the closers down the stretch to put away a feisty Wizards team.

Personally, I owe fellow starter Brandin Podziemski an apology. It’s been too tempting to jump on the Podz hate bandwagon lately, and I’ve been guilty of letting his off-court demeanor influence my on-court perception of him. Podz had a truly wonderful game, even if the shooting leaves me wanting more, and he hit big shots when it counted most. As he always does, he stuffed the stat sheet with 10 rebounds to lead the team, seven assists and two steals. He chipped in 22 points, but most importantly was aggressive trying to create contact and attack the basket, and it worked like a charm against the young Wizards defenders. In doing some self-reflection, I realize the standard I’ve been holding Podz to is unfair to his draft stock, physical attributes and demonstrated abilities.

Sure, he made some excessively confident statements during the offseason, his confidence seems unearned in some places and his mistakes or missed shots are particularly egregious. But if I stop evaluating him like a potential star or even starter and just appreciate the effort he plays with, the breadth of his contributions and most importantly the impact he has on winning, it’s a paradigm shift that completely reverses my fan experience. Accepting Podz for who he is and letting go of who he could be is difficult but makes everything better.

Another limited player shining right now is Gary Payton II. GPII’s streak of 16 consecutive made field goals came to an end on his very first attempt (a missed putback dunk), but he was still 7 for 11 and added in another 15 points. He might not be quite as smothering as his defensive prime from a few years ago, but he’s still uniquely strong, agile and smart. He deployed a perfectly timed double in the third quarter that led to an airmailed pass and earned himself another easy transition basket. His finishing has never looked better and him having this kind of offensive impact without Steph’s gravity on the court speaks volumes.

Elsewhere in the guard rotation, Pat Spencer made a number of absurdly difficult shots in the first half to help extend the lead. These were the kind of late-clock fadeaway that belie any other analysis besides, “Pat was hoopin.” His fellow bench guard LJ Cryer hit four threes, and while both guys are probably too small to be cornerstones going forward, they are clear examples of the front office finding good, winning basketball players.

The biggest story of the game however, and another feather in the front office’s proverbial cap, was a man on the other end of the height spectrum. Kristaps Porzingis had a game-high 28 points while sinking five line-drive 3s, and most importantly he looked healthy, confident and comfortable embracing the superstar offensive load this team needs right now and would benefit from next year if he were to resign. KP scored the Warriors’ first 11 points and seemed eager to take shots.

He now has an assuredness to his movements and ability to embrace contact that was missing when he had newly returned to the court, and it was the biggest difference between the teams in this one. His size and physicality led to Alex Sarr fouling out six and a half minutes into the second half, robbing the Wizards of their most impactful player for most of the second half. His tip dunk on a missed LJ Cryer midrange floater in crunch time effectively sealed the game, and was made possible by his improved cardio, the absence of any rim protection from Washington, and his improved trust in his body.

Just like the rest of the season, this version of Kristaps holds potential and also raises questions about the team’s finances and his long-term health. Again, he’s not under contract for next year, and it would be very difficult to retain both him and De’Anthony Melton. But if he, Steph and Jimmy were all able to play together next season, anyone wondering about the team’s talent and size deficiencies would be forced to reckon with questions about potential and playoff ceiling instead. Those are the kinds of questions I’d much rather ponder.