"The Warriors' last two games felt like a fever dream. That, or it's been so long since they last played that the memories are getting fuzzy. Did we really see Pat Spencer turning into the second coming of Jeremy Lin? Did the Dubs really beat the Cleveland Cavaliers and then dismantle the Chicago Bulls? Did they have swagger? Momentum? This Spencsanity that's sweeping through the Bay is clearly infectious and possibly dangerous. Maybe we should take a breath."
"So, yes, the Warriors won. They entered this quasi-bye week a scheduling quirk that feels like a gift from the heavens feeling good, if a bit conflicted. But let's be honest: Those wins don't change anything. They're just delicious, sugary, satisfying empty calories. They offer zero nutritional value for a team trying to figure out if it's a contender or a pretender."
"The actual test? That starts now. The Warriors' next five games leading into Christmas will tell us a lot. No more tanking Bulls. No more crumbling Cavs. The upcoming slate features a gauntlet of teams sitting right there in the Warriors' corridor of the Western Conference the Timberwolves, Suns, Blazers and sprinkled with an Eastern Conference playoff team the Magic that isn't above resorting to pugilism to win. This is the put up or shut up portion of the program for the Dubs."
The Warriors won consecutive games against the Cleveland Cavaliers and Chicago Bulls, generating sudden optimism around Pat Spencer's performances. Both opponents are struggling: the Cavaliers lack cohesion and resemble a shell of last year's team, and the Bulls are sliding toward the league bottom. Those wins provided energy and swagger but offered little evaluative value, described as 'delicious, sugary, satisfying empty calories' with no real nutritional value for determining championship viability. The true test arrives in the next five games before Christmas against stronger Western Conference rivals (Timberwolves, Suns, Blazers) plus the Magic, where results will indicate whether the team is a legitimate contender.
Read at www.mercurynews.com
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