{"id":602338,"date":"2026-02-14T07:31:40","date_gmt":"2026-02-14T07:31:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/602338\/"},"modified":"2026-02-14T07:31:40","modified_gmt":"2026-02-14T07:31:40","slug":"defining-second-half-success-for-the-warriors","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/602338\/","title":{"rendered":"Defining second-half success for the Warriors"},"content":{"rendered":"

This column is an excerpt from our Section 415 newsletter, where we cover the biggest stories in Bay Area sports each Monday and Friday. To sign up, visit The Standard\u2019s\u00a0newsletter page<\/a>\u00a0and select Section 415. It\u2019s free to subscribe!<\/p>\n

The Warriors are still in win-now mode, but that looks a whole lot different since Jimmy Butler tore his ACL<\/a> on Jan. 19.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Before Butler\u2019s season-ending injury, there was a possibility \u2014 however faint \u2014 of upgrading at the deadline, rounding into shape, and making a championship run. Now, expectations need to be adjusted<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The Warriors can certainly finish the season strong<\/a>, like they did after adding Butler last year, and enter the postseason on a hot streak. A soft schedule with games against several tanking teams gives them that opportunity. But there are more specific ways for the Warriors to win the second half.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Perhaps the biggest way the Warriors could feel good about the final 27 games is if Kristaps Porzingis returns to the court and looks like himself. He has played just 17 games this season, and was a diminished version of himself in the second half of last season as he dealt with POTS. The Warriors have long targeted him as a rim-protecting stretch-five<\/a>, so a little Rick Celebrini magic could give proof of concept.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Today<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a><\/p>\n

3 days ago<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a><\/p>\n

6 days ago<\/p>\n

\"Two<\/a><\/p>\n

Porzingis hitting 3s, blocking shots, and punishing smaller mismatches could also rejuvenate Draymond Green, who has largely struggled this season. Green survived the deadline and has a player option for next season, and the Warriors need him to be at his best going forward.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Likewise on the health front, De\u2019Anthony Melton is on the verge of his first healthy season since 2022-23. He has been sensational since returning from his ACL recovery, putting himself in line for a big payday and the Warriors in the queue to retain him. Getting through the finish line in one piece would cap an organizational and personal win for Melton.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The Warriors should also strive for their young players to continue ascending. If Moses Moody, Brandin Podziemski, and Gui Santos can establish themselves as reliable options for when Butler returns, the roster suddenly becomes much more complete.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Steve Kerr stuck with Moody through a December shooting funk, and the wing responded with perhaps his best stretch as a Warrior. He\u2019s averaging 12.7 points and shooting 44% from deep since January, with active hands on the perimeter. Entrenched as a starter, Moody is the Warriors\u2019 best point-of-attack option, and his defense seems to elevate when his shot\u2019s falling.\u00a0<\/p>\n

It would also be nice for Podziemski to break out of his shooting funk. He shot 40% from deep through the first 34 games. In the 21 games since, his clip is 29%. Confidence is a huge factor for any player, but it\u2019s visceral for Podziemski. He\u2019s more decisive, aggressive, and effective when he\u2019s in the right headspace. Can he finish the season in it and carry that mode into next year?\u00a0<\/p>\n

Then there\u2019s Santos, who has been surging since Butler\u2019s injury as a more featured option. He\u2019ll always be an energetic, hustle forward with good size and a nose for the ball. But are these flashes of competence with responsibility real? Even if he hits a wall, Santos has proven that he can stick in a competitive team\u2019s rotation, and that\u2019s a victory for a 55th pick. The rest of the season is a chance for him to prove even more.\u00a0<\/p>\n

A championship isn\u2019t in the cards for Golden State this year. So, the second half is silver-lining season.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"This column is an excerpt from our Section 415 newsletter, where we cover the biggest stories in Bay…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":602339,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3786],"tags":[7,479,164,4025,4024,6,66,863,255],"class_list":{"0":"post-602338","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-golden-state-warriors","8":"tag-basketball","9":"tag-golden-state","10":"tag-golden-state-warriors","11":"tag-goldenstate","12":"tag-goldenstatewarriors","13":"tag-nba","14":"tag-sports","15":"tag-steve-kerr","16":"tag-warriors"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nba\/116067821354505606","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/602338","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=602338"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/602338\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/602339"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=602338"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=602338"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=602338"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}