It appears the Golden State Warriors got what many other teams longed for in the NBA playoffs.
The No. 6 seed in the Western Conference was perceived as the postseason’s golden ticket. Why? Because it meant a first-round playoff series against the young and so-called inexperienced No. 3-seeded Kings.
When asked who was the “biggest winner” in the West, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst didn’t hesitate to respond.
“The Golden State Warriors,” Windhorst firmly said. “They get the sixth seed. They get the inexperienced Sacramento Kings starting this weekend. They don’t have to travel, they can take a bus to those games. At the start of the week, we saw the [Los Angeles] Clippers, [Los Angeles] Lakers and Warriors all unsure where they were going to go.
“One team was going to get the [Phoenix] Suns in the first round, not ideal. One team was going to have to go into the play-in, not ideal. One team was going to get the sixth seed, get the Kings who are formidable but inexperienced and weaker defensively. That was the sweet spot [and] the Warriors hit it.”
As the regular season approached the final stretch, pundits around the league claimed teams were targeting Sacramento for a first-round matchup to avoid the first-place Denver Nuggets and the fourth-place Phoenix Suns in the second round (if they advance).
Golden State Warriors
Mike Greenberg agreed with Windhorst and added that he doesn't think the playoff scenario could have broken down any better for the defending champions.
This isn't the first time Windhorst has downplayed the Kings this season, and it might not be the last time the Kings use it as motivation.
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Last month, Windhorst reported that teams around the league "smell weakness" on Sacramento and that the Kings "are the mark" as the No. 3 seed. A few days later, coach Mike Brown said he showed the video of Windhorst's comments to the team.
The Kings have this upcoming NorCal battle to determine who really is the "biggest winner."