If there was a tried and tested maxim that was true for these Golden State Warriors, it was most certainly this: What happens in the regular season, stays in the regular season.
During the 2017-18 regular season, the Warriors encountered the first signs of weariness, symptoms of a malaise caused by an apparent boredom and impatience of a team itching to skip the regular season and fast forward straight to the playoffs.
Last year’s regular season couldn’t have gone any worse for the Warriors, who dealt with several injuries to their roster as well as stumbling down the stretch run with a 7-10 record to cap off their final 17 games leading into the playoffs.