The Golden State Warriors failed to reach the playoffs this season after two losses in the play-in tournament.
The Grizzlies knock the Warriors out of the play-in tournament. pic.twitter.com/Xdu2JtMRGo
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) May 22, 2021
There were some expectations of them at least winning one of the two games to advance.
However, that was not the case.
The Warriors are not making the playoffs for the second straight season.
This comes after making the NBA Finals five consecutive times.
Their fans are not used to mediocrity as of late.
Warriors fans, and the organization, expect to win and compete.
However, all dynasties must come to end.
They are not the same as they once were a few years ago.
An early exit does hurt for a fanbase, but it is not as bad as you may think.
Here are a few reasons why Warriors fans should not be upset about not making the playoffs.
Klay Injury
Klay Thompson is the second-best player on this Warriors team.
He has been there for every title, and came up clutch a few times over the years.
After tearing his ACL in the 2019 NBA Finals, he missed the entire 2020 season.
The expectation was that he would come back healthy and the team could be a contender once again.
Unfortunately, Klay tore his Achilles during the offseason.
Source: Golden State’s Klay Thompson has suffered a season-ending Achilles tear.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) November 19, 2020
It was a tough blow for the franchise.
This is when expectations had to change.
Thompson is such an integral part of the Warriors franchise.
He is a leader on the team and one of the greatest shooters we have ever seen.
This injury made the franchise have to take a step back and regroup.
Without him, the Warriors were by far a different team with lesser expectations.
The Roster
The Warriors’ biggest claim to fame in the past was their ability of putting together a perfect team.
During their run, they had great benches with a ton of depth.
This year was not a year of depth.
In fact without Stephen Curry, the team was just abysmal.
They had a game against the Toronto Raptors where they lost 130-77 with Curry out of the lineup.
Final pic.twitter.com/w8UJF22obh
— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) April 3, 2021
There were troubles all season long with helping their superstar player.
The depth on this team was a true issue.
Players, such as Juan Toscano-Anderson came out of nowhere and had to play a big role on the team.
Second overall pick, James Wiseman, struggled all year long before his injury.
Second-year guard, Jordan Poole, had to be in charge of ball-handling duties off the bench, as they lacked backup guards.
The roster this season was not a playoff type of roster in all honesty.
Not The Same Franchise
The hardest realization for the fans might be the notion that they are not a great team anymore.
They are not the same team as they were just a few years ago.
Their expectations should change in the process.
Fans should not be upset with a team with several injuries and lack of depth.
This is not the dynasty team anymore.
It is a new era of Warriors basketball.
This is a hard reality to acknowledge after years of so much winning.
However, it is a different time for the Warriors.
It is time to regroup and find a new way to win again.
The fans should be happy they competed all year long and played their hardest.
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