Kurtenbach: Do the Warriors really think they can load manage their way to the playoffs?

"If you squinted hard enough at the box score from the Warriors game in Sacramento on Wednesday, you could sell yourself that it was a positive performance. No Steph Curry. No Jimmy Butler. No Draymond Green. The Warriors, trotting out a line-up that had a distinct G-League feel to it, somehow took the (also shorthanded) Kings down to the final minute. Will Richard yes, the second-round rookie dropped 30. Moses Moody and Jonathan Kuminga poured in 28 and 24, respectively. It was a moral victory, right?"

"And if we've already resorted to moral victories and silver linings with the 2025-26 Dubs, well, then this whole operation is smelling a bit funny. We've seen the Warriors when they are humming. They look unapproachable. Curry and Butler playing like their MVP-caliber selves, Green and Al Horford are running the defensive end like they own the patent. When they are at their best, I like the Warriors' chances against anyone."

"Last week, the Warriors sleepwalked through losses to the Pacers and the Bucks, two teams that, frankly, they should be able to beat with one hand tied behind their backs. And then on Wednesday, they punted a back-to-back against Sacramento. Now they're 5-4. That's good for seventh place in the West, which brings us to the existential question facing this team: Can the Golden State Warriors load-manage their way out of the play-in tournament?"

Golden State played without key stars and fielded a lineup resembling G-League personnel, yet nearly beat a shorthanded Sacramento team led by rookie Will Richard (30), Moses Moody (28), and Jonathan Kuminga (24). The performance registered as a moral victory, but the team has been inconsistent, suffering surprising losses to the Pacers and Bucks and admitting a punted back-to-back. The Warriors sit 5-4 and seventh in the West. The roster's age, load-management needs, and uneven results raise serious doubts about avoiding the play-in tournament in a stacked Western Conference.

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