The Golden State Warriors have been a fan favorite team for basketball lovers near the Bay Area. From Wilt Chamberlain’s dominant run in the 60s, to the gritty We Believe Warriors of the 2000s, to the modern-day Stephen Curry-dominated era, the Warriors will always be a beloved team.
However, the team has fallen into a period of struggle, barely managing to make the playoffs year after year, with an exception of the championship year in 2022.
“I think this was inevitable, right? Our core: Steph [Curry], Draymond [Green], and Klay [Thompson] are aging and obviously they’re a lot older now. I don’t think the young players have had the success that I’ve hoped they would have,” said Shaurya Shrivastava (‘25).
A recent game against the Timberwolves made fans outraged. With 4 minutes left in the third quarter, Warriors Head Coach Steve Kerr subbed Stephen Curry out of the game, and he didn’t return for ten minutes, resulting in a 5 point lead in favor of the Wolves.
Kerr responded to these statements by saying “we can’t expect to just ride Steph game after game after game. We’ve put the burden of this franchise on his shoulders for 15 years. We can’t expect him to play 35 minutes … If you want to say that him playing 30 minutes instead of 32 is the difference between a win and a loss, I totally disagree with that.”
The Warriors were one of the most dominant teams in the 2010s. From the 2013-14 season to the 2018-19 season, they had a mind-blowing record of 373-119, a win rate of over 75%. However, in the last five seasons, that number has decreased to 57%.
“When I first became a fan, they were always winning. I expected them to always win. Then, during the year Curry got injured, it all went downhill. They didn’t even make the bubble playoffs, and then the next year they lost in the play-in,” said Shrivastava.
The Warriors have been known, since 2018, to consistently overlook top NBA Draft prospects, contributing to their overall decline. Notable examples include Eric Paschall in 2019, James Wiseman in 2020, and Moses Moody in 2021.
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Despite the recent struggles, Dubnation continues to show support for their team as the Warriors rank 15th this season in attendance.
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“Honestly, a lot of our struggles are a result of injuries and just poor management. When Klay and KD got injured in the 2018 finals, and then Curry in 2019, the team wasn’t the same without them. And then there’s the fact that we haven’t done really well with our drafts in the past few years, except this year where I feel we did a pretty good job with our rookies,” said Soham Belgal (‘25).
For several years in a row, the Warriors have been in the midst of trade rumors. Fans have been wondering whether the team was going to trade away the future for a big superstar, in hopes of earning one more ring during the Stephen Curry era.
“I think making a big trade is just going to make the fans happier. But really, I don’t think they’re going to win anything. I mean, what’s the best they can really trade for, right? They could trade [Jonathan] Kuminga and some picks and younger players for a start. It probably wouldn’t do anything in the playoffs,” said Shrivastava.
As of right now, the Warriors fan base seems divided. One group believes the dynasty is over, while another believes that success is still possible. However, one thing they can all agree on is the pure dominance of the Golden State Warriors.
“It’s been fun being a Warriors fan and obviously there’s been a lot of ups and downs from championships to injuries. I’m gonna keep rooting for this team though and hopefully there’s good things in the future,” said Belgal.
