The Golden State Warriors are returning to the Play-In Tournament after a long and wild regular season.
They had a chance at avoiding the Play-In, but they lost their game against the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday and now sit as the seventh seed in the West.
Speaking to 95.7 The Game, Mark Willard talked about that loss.
He doesn’t think it’s a huge deal, but he does admit that it hurt the team’s ego a bit.
“Yesterday’s loss was not concerning. They lost to a very good team…but it’s an ego slap. This team acquired Jimmy Butler and stated, ‘Our goal is the 6.’ You fell short and now you get a label. ‘Play-in team,’” Willard said.
“Yesterday’s loss was not concerning. They lost to a very good team…but it’s an ego slap. This team acquired Jimmy Butler and stated, ‘Our goal is the 6.’ You fell short and now you get a label. ‘Play-in team.'”
– @Mark_T_Willard on @WillardAndDibs.
🎧 https://t.co/tTA33PjROx pic.twitter.com/e41PBmAYSE
— 95.7 The Game (@957thegame) April 14, 2025
Willard is right when he says the team had its sights set on acquiring the sixth seed.
Since adding Jimmy Butler in February, this squad has looked much better and played like true competitors.
For a moment, it seemed like they could climb even higher than the sixth seed, in fact.
Unfortunately for them, they are once again staring down the Play-In, a tournament that has been very tough on them over the last several years.
They are hoping for an easy win over the Memphis Grizzlies so they can secure the seventh seed and start planning a first-round push against the Houston Rockets.
Their egos might be bruised right now because they had high hopes and fell short of them, but they’ll feel even worse if they fall to the Grizzlies.
However, if they get a win, they will gain confidence, and that could help and inspire them when they need it most.
The Warriors may be tired, and they may not have reached their goals, but they are not out of this fight yet.
NEXT: Insider Reveals Warriors’ Injury Report Ahead Of Play-In Matchup Against Grizzlies
