Draymond Green’s punch on Jordan Poole signaled the start of Golden State’s 2022–23 season, and the Los Angeles Lakers defeated them in the season finale.
The Lakers won Game 6 over the Warriors 122-101 on Friday, moving on to the Western Conference Finals where they will face Denver.
Golden State’s dynasty, which started in 2015 with a championship, may come to an end as a result of the loss. In addition, it released titles in 2017 and 2018 and 2022.
The Warriors, though, were the sixth seed this year. In the first round, they performed admirably against the third-seeded Sacramento Kings, but they were unable to advance beyond the seventh-seeded Lakers, who possessed LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and a whole new squad.
What does the Warriors’ defeat mean? Is the Golden State dynasty finally coming to an end with Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green all playing together?
All three stated a desire to return the next year, and Warriors coach Steve Kerr noted that “Steph, Klay, and Draymond, our core guys, they have plenty left to offer.”
What happened?
Although it is impossible to quantify the preseason punch’s effect, Golden State’s season was impacted. The Warriors were concerned about it the entire season because it lingered in the air.
The Warriors were a top-10 offensive and No. 14 defensive team on the floor, but they were just 11-30 away from home and dropped all three games in Los Angeles during the conference semifinals. They committed 16.3 turnovers per game on average during the regular season, which carried over into the playoffs, particularly against the Lakers.
Golden State was also hampered by injuries and absences. Wiggins appeared in 37 games whereas Curry appeared in just 56, missing some of the season due to personal matters.
The Warriors were unable to play at the level necessary to win a championship this season because they are older. Overall, Golden State’s statistics against the Lakers don’t seem that horrible. If you focus only on the defeats, Curry, Thompson, and Poole all had 33.3% 3-point shooting percentages. In Game 6, Curry and Thompson shot threes for a combined 6-for-26.
