After the Warriors opened the 2025-26 NBA season with a 119-109 win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday at Crypto.com Arena, could the gold-blooded franchise be back on its way to championship glory?

With Steph Curry, Draymond Green and Jimmy Butler steering the ship, ESPN NBA analyst Monica McNutt certainly believes so — with one caveat.

“So, I was asked about my dark horse Finals — well, not dark horse — but Finals picks recently with Carmelo Anthony, and I actually kind of got the Warriors coming out of the West right now if they stay healthy,” McNutt told Mike Greenberg on Wednesday’s “Get Up” episode. “Now, here’s the thing. As much as we will point to some of the contenders in the West, you might say they’re young, right? But one of the youngest teams in the league is currently the reigning champs in the league.

“And so, what does this look like? The [Warriors’] experience is undeniable. The work ethic is undeniable. The urgency in the case of Jimmy Butler is undeniable. But what does this team look like when we get to April? Because the mileage, it adds up.”

Health is everything for the Warriors, especially with their aging core. Curry will be 38 by the time the Finals roll around, Green will be 36 and Butler just turned 36. Not to mention, Golden State’s biggest offseason acquisition, big man Al Horford, is 39.

But that same Big Three found plenty of success earlier this year after the Warriors acquired Butler at the 2025 NBA trade deadline, finishing the season as one of the league’s best teams and rolling through the playoffs until Curry and Butler sustained injuries.

“It feels like a very long time ago, but they were cruising along and then Steph gets hurt,” Greenberg said. “And that was all she wrote. This team, I agree with you, if they’re healthy — and that’s the biggest if in the sport — they’re definitely a team to keep in mind.”

Curry and Green look to join the illustrious list of NBA champions who have five rings to their name this season, while Butler, in his 15th season, seeks his first title.

The trio, with the rest of the Warriors’ roster, worked in perfect synchronicity on Tuesday night in Los Angeles. And it’s clear their performance has caught the eye of some just one game into the season.

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