Since winning a championship in 2022, the Warriors have been a team in clear decline. Two years ago, the Warriors lost in the second round of the playoffs to the Lakers. Last year, they failed to even make the postseason, getting eliminated in their first Play-In tournament game.
Given that Stephen Curry turned 36 during the offseason, it looked like Golden State's time as a championship contender was over. The front office made moves to cut a ton of salary, letting Klay Thompson and Chris Paul, which issued in a new era. A funny thing happened, though.
Making the team cheaper ended up creating an even stronger group. The Warriors find themselves tied for the best record in the Western Conference after the first 10 games of the season. The explanation for Golden State's turnaround boils down to a few key reasons.
SN's NBA HQ: Live NBA scores | Updated NBA standings | Full NBA schedule Four reasons the Warriors are contenders again The return of "Strength in Numbers" Steve Kerr's rallying cry during the Warriors' dynasty days was the idea of strength in numbers. Sure, the Warriors had star power, but Kerr believed that leaning on contributions from the entire roster would lead to championships. Golden State hasn't had the personnel to make that a viable strategy in recent years, but it's back in full force this season.
Kerr has called this the deepest team he's ever coached, and that's evidenced by his rotations. Nobody is playing more than 30 minutes per game, and Kerr has 13.