With a 29-29 record heading into the NBA All-Star break, the defending-champion Warriors' 2022-23 season isn't going quite the way they thought it could.
But is there still a chance they could run it back? Warriors president of basketball operations and general manager Bob Myers is viewing the team's chances through a realistic -- yet positive -- lens in the midst of some adversity this season, thanks largely in part to Golden State's championship DNA.
"Well, we're going to find out," Myers told 95.7 The Game's "Steiny & Guru" show Wednesday. "I mean, it doesn't matter what I say. The team's the team now, so you hope you get healthy and find out. I just love professional sports in the playoffs because it all gets answered. This isn't some subjective Grammy awards or Oscars where you think you got screwed.
"If you lose, you weren't good enough. And if you win, you were."
As it stands, the Warriors hold the Western Conference's No. 9 seed and would be in the play-in tournament if the NBA playoffs began today. They're only one game back of the No. 6 Dallas Mavericks, and Myers believes if Golden State can get into the postseason healthy, they'll have a shot -- just like last year.
Steph Curry has been sidelined since Feb. 4 with a left leg injury, just weeks after he returned to action following a left shoulder injury earlier in the season. Andrew Wiggins has dealt with his fair share of ailments this season, from injuries to illnesses.
Golden State Warriors
And now, after the Warriors made a win-now trade for Gary Payton II, the 30-year-old is set to miss significant time as he continues to recover from a core muscle injury.
So, has Myers ever thought, "Maybe it just isn't our year?"
"I don't know," Myers said. "I mean, there's been some bumps in the road, for sure. I feel like there was some last year, although we had a good stretch to lean on that we knew and saw, and we're waiting for that this year. But every year is different, and you've got to overcome what you're got to overcome.
"But I hope that we're set up here, and you're right, I've heard you say, obviously, Curry has to come back. That has to happen. And if it doesn't happen, it doesn't matter. But I think it will."
There isn't a timetable for Curry's return to the court at the moment, but his injury diagnosis revealed he won't miss the rest of the season. On Monday, Curry said he doesn't have a target date to return.
But Curry, along with Klay Thompson and Draymond Green, possess an intangible championship experience that gives them an undeniable leg up on the floor in years they do make the playoffs. And that's something Myers is counting on.
"The special thing about this group, many of them, you don't just win four championships," Myers said. "There's a lot of talented players in sports. When you're able to do it that many times with the same core, there's a belief, there's a confidence. And I think the thing that is a little bit like, maybe, a boxer, where [the Warriors] just haven't been knocked out [this season]. ...
"And so we'll see how long they can keep going before that happens, and I think the league even kind of knows that, too."
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The Warriors have 24 games left this season before a potential playoff run.
And as Myers said, all Dub Nation can do is wait and see how it all ends up.