For one dizzying weekend, reality bent in San Francisco.
Pat Spencer looked like the second coming of Jeremy Lin. The Golden State Warriors beat the Cavaliers, then dismantled the Bulls, and suddenly Chase Center felt alive again. Swagger returned. Smiles spread. Hope — dangerous, intoxicating hope — crept back into the Bay.
But here’s the cold truth: none of it means anything yet.
Yes, the Warriors played well. Yes, “Spencsanity” is real, fun, and wildly entertaining. And no, we still have no idea who this team actually is.
Those two wins? They were empty calories.
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Cleveland is unraveling, a shell of its former self. Chicago is doing what Chicago does best — racing toward the bottom with alarming efficiency. Beating those teams doesn’t define a contender. It barely defines competence. It feels good, but it answers nothing.
The real test begins now.
Golden State enters a brutal five-game stretch before Christmas that will finally strip away the noise. No tanking teams. No collapsing opponents. This upcoming slate features direct competition — the Timberwolves, Suns, Blazers, and a physical Orlando Magic squad that won’t hesitate to turn games into street fights if necessary.
This is the Warriors’ “put up or shut up” moment.
If the confidence is real, it survives against playoff-level intensity. If the chemistry is real, it holds when the game plan tightens and possessions matter. If this team is turning a corner, it happens now — not against teams measuring success by lottery odds.
There is help on the way.
Steph Curry is expected to return Friday against Minnesota, and his presence alone changes everything. Curry won’t fix every flaw, but he disguises plenty of them. He remains the ultimate deodorant for a franchise that has smelled increasingly desperate. With No. 30 back, chaos suddenly looks manageable.
But even Curry can’t cover up the Warriors’ most glaring issue — the one sitting at the end of the bench.
Jonathan Kuminga.
Against the Bulls, in a game where nearly everyone ate, Kuminga didn’t play. A DNP-CD against one of the league’s worst teams is not “rest.” It’s a message — and a loud one.
Steve Kerr didn’t bother softening the blow.
“He has not played well lately,” Kerr said flatly. “That’s why I went away from him.”
That’s not tough love. That’s organizational honesty.
Kerr made it clear where Kuminga stands — and where he doesn’t. Steph. Jimmy. Draymond. Those players play regardless. Kuminga? He has to earn every minute. Potential no longer buys patience. Consistency does.
For years, this relationship has hovered between promise and frustration. Athleticism without reliability. Flashes without follow-through. And now, the leash isn’t short — it’s gone.
January 15, the first day Kuminga becomes trade-eligible, is looming like a deadline everyone sees coming but no one wants to say out loud.
Which raises bigger questions.
Can the “Pat Spencer Era” last longer than a viral moment? Can Curry’s return elevate a group that’s finally showing signs of cohesion? Can this team survive a real test without falling back into old habits?
The Warriors are entertaining again. They are intriguing again. But they are not proven.
Not yet.
Enjoy Spencsanity while it lasts. Enjoy the vibes, the noise, the smiles. Because the next five games won’t care about any of that.
They will tell us exactly who the Warriors really are.
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