You probably don’t remember the Warriors’ 2019-2020 season.
I don’t blame you for erasing it from your memory.
After five straight trips to the Finals and the departures of Kevin Durant, Andre Iguodala, and Shaun Livingston in the offseason, the Warriors entered the season knowing that contending for a title was a long shot. Within five games, the season was over, as Steph Curry broke his hand. They won 15 games before the season was ended by a worldwide pandemic.
Why am I bringing up this awful, forgettable season?
Because it felt like I was watching that team in Game 2 of the Warriors’ Western Conference Semifinals series with the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Who are half these guys, and what were they doing on the floor in a playoff game?
But here’s the crazy thing:
Some of those guys might just be the key for the Warriors achieving their new postseason goal: winning one of the next three games to send this series to a Game 6.
Why six? Well, the team will be returning to San Francisco after their 117-93 Game 2 drubbing, and Curry sidelined with a hamstring injury that the team won’t even reevaluate until next Wednesday, the Dubs need to buy themselves.
A single win can give the Warriors a chance — just a chance — at Curry returning for games on May 18 and 20. Even down 3-2 in the series, the Dubs have to like their chances in win-or-go-home games with No. 30 on the court.
That crucial, season-saving win wasn’t coming Thursday. No one should have expected such a thing.
And, as almost anyone could have predicted, the Warriors turned in an absolute dud of an offensive performance in Game 2. To call their first half abysmal might be underselling it. The Warriors had a negative turnover-to-assist ratio in the first quarter — the first five minutes of the game, the Warriors had zero points on the board and I was searching through the least-desirable NBA records to see if any had been broken.
Yes, instead of Eric Paschall, Mychal Mulder, and Marquese Chris, the Warriors had a hobbled, not-even-close-to-100-percent, and kinda-going-through-the-motions Jimmy Butler, a frustrated and electable Draymond Green (a hallmark of the 2019-2020 season), a struggling Brandin Podziemski, and, once again, Braxton Key.
But amid all the bad, there was a push to start the second half — a fleeting moment where the Warriors looked like a real, honest playoff team.
And that stretch, which cut Minnesota’s lead to seven points, gives me optimism that the Dubs can find a win in the next week.
Sure, that optimism might have more to do with their opponent than the Warriors themselves, but whatever works, right? And, my goodness, does Minnesota want to give the Warriors another win.
Let’s be clear about this, though: Thursday’s game was an experiment. Warriors coach Steve Kerr is looking for seven players he can trust. Without Curry, the Warriors were without their system, and that meant everything Kerr has thought he learned about his team in recent weeks was antiquated. He was back at the drawing board Thursday, playing 14 guys in the first half.
“We have to figure out what we’re going to do in this series without Steph,” Kerr said postgame. “We gave a lot of people a lot of chances. Some people really stepped up.”
That tactic might have lost the game — the Dubs spotted the Wolves a 13-0 lead — but it might have found the seven.
Moses Moody is out. Kerr gave him time to work his way out of a slump, but when you pull up for a short transition jumper and miss the rim entirely on a 12 l-footer, you’re not coming back from the abyss. Quinten Post had his shot and lost it off the jump. This is not a Gui Santos series, either.
But Kuminga deserves a longer look after Thursday. Freed from the rules and regulations of a Curry-led system and empowered to do, simply, whatever he wants on offense, Kuminga made his first seven shots and looked excellent for stretches, including that start-of-the-second one.
Trayce Jackson-Davis looked the part of a contributor on Thursday, too. His bounce and burst, particularly in the high pick-and-roil, made (somehow) four-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert look like Willie Cauley-Stein.
“Their athleticism was important,” Kerr said. “Those guys really performed well and showed why they can help us win this series.”
Let’s just start with a game.
But Kerr is right.
Between Kuminga and Jackson-Davis, Buddy Hield and Podziemski (even with his struggles), and some combination of Pat Spencer and Gary Payton II, the Warriors might have found their rotation for the remainder of this series.
Now, can they find a vintage Butler and Green game?
They’ll have two shots at one at Chase Center. Frankly, with the way Butler is laboring on defense and not attacking the rim on offense, there might only be one good shot in his legs. He’d be well served to coordinate with Green on when that burst is coming — if it’s coming.
Don’t write off these Dubs just yet, though.
Winning one of three isn’t a big ask.
But for this team, it could prove to be huge accomplishment.
And it’s doable now that Kerr has a better read on his roster and the Wolves’.
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