Mike Dunleavy Confident in Warriors’ Championship Prospects

After watching the NBA playoffs without his team, the Warriors, Mike Dunleavy is confident that Golden State will return to the tournament next season and compete for a championship.

Mike Dunleavy’s positive outlook

During a press conference before the 2024 NBA Draft at Chase Center, the Warriors GM explained to the media on Monday his positive outlook for Golden State’s future next season, citing the success of this year’s playoff contenders.

I focus solely on the playoffs and evaluate their competitiveness in relation to fairness. Mike Dunleavy noted that over the last five seasons, there have been five different winners. Every team, no matter their seed, has a chance to make it to the Finals, as seen with lower-seeded teams and even Dallas, seeded 5th, reaching the Finals. I think that’s really thrilling for the league.

The Importance of Equality

Mike Dunleavy emphasized the importance of teams coming together at the appropriate time, underscoring the importance of equality in the league. When individuals come together at the appropriate time, they all have a chance. I think there are no teams that are clearly superior. It gives us a chance to measure our improvement from last year, especially since our team did not reach the playoffs. At times you may say, ‘We are quite a distance away from where we need to go.’ There is a strong demand for equality now, but I think we can make a swift adjustment.

The Boston Celtics, who held the top seed in the Eastern Conference and the best overall record, clinched the championship by defeating the Dallas Mavericks, the 5th seed in the Western Conference, in a five-game series. In 2023, the Denver Nuggets, the top-seed, defeated the eighth-seed Miami Heat. While teams like Boston and Denver, who were top seeds, managed to win in the last two years, the lower-seeded teams put up a good fight until the end.

Mike Dunleavy believes the Warriors have a chance to compete for a championship due to the current parity in the NBA. There is a real opportunity for Golden State to make a strong comeback next season, as teams of various seedings have been successful.