The Golden State Warriors are coming off a blowout loss against Los Angeles Lakers. They are now 19-16 and sitting at the very unstable #8 rank in the WC table. Teams like the Dallas Mavericks and Memphis Grizzlies pose a great threat to their position if they do not soon climb up the ladder.

That being said, the Warriors, in the absence of Klay Thompson, have already surpassed the expectations of many. They have won against bigger teams and that has shown their grit and fervor towards making it into the postseason. 

Stephen Curry has signaled that they are eyeing a particular rank

The star of the team’s amazing season so far has been Steph Curry. He is averaging his second-highest after the 2015-16 season when he was the league MVP. Plus, his three-point and free-throw shooting has again touched the old numbers that established him as the NBA’s game-changer. He would definitely want to build on that performance once they reach the playoffs.

In a recent interview, Steph signaled that their ranking does matter and expressed, “We just want to not be in the play-in situation, that’d be helpful… Probably best case scenario, with where we are right now, if we could sneak into the fourth seed, that’d be amazing.”

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The play-in tournament decides the #7 and #8 ranks in a conference, wherein the 7th and 8th seed get two opportunities to win a game and seal the PO berth while the 9th and 10th get only one chance. Obviously, GSW would not want to tire themselves out only to later play biggies like the Lakers, Clippers, or Jazz. 

What are the odds of the Warriors making it to the fourth seed?

Presently, the top three WC teams have more individual wins than the EC topper, the Philadelphia 76ers. This shows how tough it is to break into the Top Three of WC, and with every passing game, the gap is only increasing. Hence, it is logical for GSW to target the 4th seed. But for that to happen, Steph Curry must produce performances close to that 62-point game against the Blazers more frequently. 

The Warriors weave their offense around Steph, Kelly Oubre Jr., and Andrew Wiggins, who get assistance from Draymond Green. Plus, a healthy James Wiseman is an addition that gives them speed and also a solid defense on the backcourt. But they must overcome teams like the Phoenix Suns, the Spurs, and the Nuggets to reach where they want to be. 

However, there is another angle to this plot. What if the Warriors remain the 6th seed entering the postseason and Klay Thompson manages to join them later in the playoffs? Now, this is a hypothetical situation, but worth discussing. What do you think of this possibility?

Read also – ‘He Finds His Peace’: Klay Thompson’s Father Reveals What Brings the Warriors’ Star Immense Happiness