In the middle of November, the Golden State Warriors looked completely out of sorts. Their all-star point guard Stephen Curry was out with a groin injury, the team lacked a consistent center, and most important of all, forwards Draymond Green and Kevin Durant got into a heated scuffle both on and off the court. Green was suspended, and headlines were plastered over the sporting world comparing the Warriors’ demise to the fall of the Roman Empire. While their record remained relatively intact, many doubted the longevity of a franchise that has had astronomical success in such a short amount of time. Many were quick to sell the team short, and Golden State did lose the next four games and six out of nine, something rarely seen for this basketball team. Overall, the question remained: Was this the end of one of the greatest basketball franchises ever? Was this just a small bump in the road, or was this even a slow demise into mediocrity?

Two months later, in January, it seems as if those questions had never been asked. One could say the Golden State Warriors never bounced back in an extreme way, but did they even really need to? Right now, they’re sitting very comfortably in second place in the Western Conference (only one game behind the hot Denver Nuggets). The former MVP Curry is averaging 29.4 points per game, second only to James Harden, and Kevin Durant is in fourth, with 28.5 points per game. Injuries have become less of a problem, except for the small but crucial piece they have been missing after Shaun Livingston’s knee injury. Even the problems from previous seasons have become fixed, such as Kevin Durant’s passing. Being criticized the last two seasons for disrupting the team’s amazing selfless basketball, Durant is now averaging 6.2 assists per game, his career high. And that center problem might seem less of an issue with the newcomer DeMarcus Cousins entering the lineup. He has been practicing fully after brutally tearing his achilles last season for the Pelicans. This 6’11’’ center will have brand new start on a team whose entire starting lineup would consist entirely of All-Stars, a feat not even the ‘86 Celtics pulled off. 

This is not a time to frown for the millions of Warriors fans across the country, but they should also not celebrate too quickly. They are the most talented team in the league on paper, and their focus this season should be “win it all or nothing” like it has been the past four seasons. The Western Conference is still undetermined; Denver is full of rising stars, Russell Westbrook and Paul George on the Oklahoma City Thunder have found their rhythm, and James Harden’s Houston Rockets are climbing up the standings at a rapid pace. Anything and everything is up for grabs, so the Bay Area should not get ahead of themselves just yet. Focusing on a smooth transition for the notorious Cousins in the team’s fragile chemistry and taking every day at a time is crucial for their continued success. This season will determine whether the Warriors are the best dynasty ever, or whether they are the latest 21st century franchise to crumble after a couple of championships.