Following a disappointing and heartbreaking loss to the L.A. Clippers, the Golden State Warriors will be out to secure a playoff berth when they host the Memphis Grizzlies at Chase Center on Tuesday night.
Should the Warriors advance, there's many who believe their path may actually have improved by going through the Play-In Tournament. The main argument for that is a potential first-round matchup with the Houston Rockets, rather than finishing as the sixth-seed and getting the more proven and star-studded Los Angeles Lakers led by Luka Doncic and LeBron James.
There was also a point last week where Golden State could have pushed to the fourth or fifth-seed, but remaining as the seventh means they wouldn't see the Oklahoma City Thunder until the Western Conference Finals.
But even looking that far ahead may be completely wishful thinking from a Warrior standpoint, with plenty of work to be done to win a playoff spot and win one solitary series let alone anything more.
The Warriors are facing an uphill battle to conjure a deep playoff run
There are a number of elements that are working against Golden State and could crush their postseason hopes before they even begin. The biggest of those may be just how hard they've had to push to reach this position, having sat outside the Play-In Tournament mix as the 11th-seed just over two months ago.
While that may make them battle hardened and prepared for the intensity of the postseason, the fact the Warriors have been playing at playoff urgency for so long could leave them weary and without the enrgy to sustain a deep run.
Golden State are still led by a 37-year-old Stephen Curry, along with 35-year-old's Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green. Curry is dealing with a thumb sprain and recently missed time with a pelvic contusion, Butler was limping heavily at the end of Sunday's game after a collision with Kawhi Leonard, and Green is constantly being asked to play against bigger opponents as an undersized 6'6" starting center.
It doesn't bode overly well, particularly for a potential series against the Rockets who are young, big, athletic and tough. Even if the Warriors' experience does prevail in that series, it's not going to be a walk in the park for Curry and Butler to fight through everything a top five defense has to throw at them.
Then you have the entire Jonathan Kuminga situation which could become an unwanted distraction as the postseason progresses. The relationship between Golden State and their former seventh overall pick appears to be coming to a conclusion, so how do they balance that now while still focusing on the greater good of the team? Can they keep Kuminga engaged enough to be a positive locker room presence, and potentially be a beneficial piece on the floor if his name is called?
Every team has hurdles they need to overcome throughout the postseason, but the obstacles the Warriors face may be as big as any around the league. While they've shown enough over the last two months to suggest they can be a threat, it remains to be seen whether they can overcome the significant challenges to bring that into existence.
