Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors obliterated the Sacramento Kings on Friday, winning 137-103. The Kings sit at the bottom of the Western Conference and are in the midst of their worst season in recent memory. Associating the “rivalry” narrative with them at this point of the season might not seem like a part of a serious conversation, at least to the Warriors superstar, who recorded a season-high 10 assists in the win.

In the last three seasons, the Warriors and the Kings have met twice in the postseason, including one Play-In Tournament game. The 6th-seeded Warriors eliminated the Kings, who were the 3rd-seed, in the first round of the 2023 playoffs. In the next season, the Kings took their revenge, eliminating the Warriors in the Play-In Tournament. While some might call it a budding rivalry in Northern California, Curry just gave a harsh reality check of the notion.

During the postgame interview, a reporter asked Curry if the Warriors and Kings were rivals.

“Geographically, yeah—–that’s about it,” the four-time NBA champion said.

Let’s put things into perspective.

In the last 11 years, the Warriors have made the playoffs eight times. They reached the NBA Finals six times and won four championships. They were the most dominant team in the league in the last decade, and you could confidently argue that the 2016’s 73-9 Warriors were the best team ever in league history.

On the other hand, the Sacramento Kings have reached the playoffs just once in the last 19 years. And that one time when they reached the post-season, the Warriors were the ones to send them packing in the first round. All-time, the Warriors own the head-to-head record over the Kings, 220-198.

It’s not a knock on the Kings. They had some good seasons with De’Aaron Fox and Mike Brown. This season could have turned out better for them, but Domantas Sabonis’ injury and numerous other issues have led to a horrible campaign so far. As for the Warriors, they are riding high in Curry’s presence. However, sustainability questions are looming around the team with a roster that is just good.

The Warriors are slowly picking up the rhythm with Stephen Curry, but does it warrant a playoff run?

When Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors entered the season, there wasn’t much expectation from them, well, at least from the championship perspective. Yes, Curry said during the offseason that his team would be among title contenders, but in the loaded Western Conference, that’s just the confidence of a champion talking.

With Curry playing, the Warriors have won five of the last six games. They have played 10 games without Curry and lost six of those contests. While playing with their superstar, it warrants them an advantage. However, the reality stands out that the Warriors’ latest success is mostly due to Curry, as the Warriors soar when he plays.

With Curry, the Warriors’ offensive rating (119.0) is among the top five teams in the NBA. However, in the 10 games he has missed, it has significantly plummeted to 107.7 points.

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Do the numbers and the Warriors’ winning record promise a big season for them? Most probably, no, unless they make an impossible trade that no one saw coming. There are at least four teams in the West, which include OKC, Denver, San Antonio and Houston, that are clear favorites over the Warriors. The Timberwolves are red hot with a four-game winning streak since Atlanta’s loss. At their best, they are better than the unreliable Lakers. This is not the season for a dream run for the Warriors.

Will there be another dynastic run for them while Curry is still playing? The answer is no different. However, if the Warriors can pull one great trade during the offseason, one more title run isn’t and shouldn’t be out of the conversation.