As we tie up the 2021–22 NBA season with a nice, neat bow—and prepare to basically kick off the next one with the NBA draft in the next couple of days—let’s spend a few minutes talking about the Warriors.
It feels more than a little strange to call this season a masterpiece, given how it unfolded at times. It started out beautifully, with Golden State jockeying for the best mark in the entire league, even without a rehabbing Klay Thompson back in the mix yet alongside historic running mates Stephen Curry and Draymond Green. Then, just as it looked like they’d finally have a healthy Klay in the rotation, Green was forced to leave the lineup with a lower-back injury that would keep him out for 32 contests.