The Warriors are trying to get back into the championship picture with the same core they won their last four titles with, but some NBA pundits believe their time has come and gone.
Former NBA champion and current ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins shared his own bold prediction about the future of the Warriors and where they stand in the stacked Western Conference.
“The [Phoenix] Suns are better. The Denver Nuggets are better than [the Warriors]. And I’m willing to go out on a limb and say the Sacramento Kings are better than them,” Perkins said Monday on “First Take.” “Although they did win a seven-game series, but going into this season, I love this Sacramento Kings team over the Golden State Warriors for the simple fact that now they have a year of experience under their belt, they know what it takes to get to the postseason, they know how it feels to be in the postseason.
“They are only going to get better. … So when I look at the Golden State Warriors, I said it last year and I’m going to stand on it now, their dynasty run, that window for championships, that has closed .”
The Kings met with their Northern California neighbors in the first round of the 2023 playoffs — their first postseason appearance since 2006 — and took Steph Curry and Co. all the way to a Game 7. The Kings’ season ended thanks to a Curry masterclass, but their efforts made it clear they’d be back in the years to come.
Meanwhile, Perkins believes the Warriors — who have won four championships with their Big Three of Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green — are headed in the opposite direction.
“I’m done with the old news,” Perkins said. “I’m moving forward. Number one, this is why the Warriors are not a threat. And when we say a threat, we’re talking about them winning a championship. Every single season that they have Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green, it’s championship or nothing for them.
“And as long as LeBron James is in the Western Conference, Steph Curry really hasn’t done anything without Kevin Durant when it comes down to matching up with LeBron James.”
Sacramento turned heads last season and is ready to take it a step further in 2023-24. The Kings believe they can compete with the best, and apparently, so does Perkins.