With the regular season almost over, the entire NBA is already thinking about the playoffs. The Golden State Warriors will have to go through the Play-In, but Klay Thompson believes they can dream with making a deep run.
Apart from their own talent and championship experience, the veteran star backs up his argument with the Miami Heat‘s trip to the Finals last year. According to Thompson, the Dubs are taking inspiration from that Miami team to enter the 2024 with high aspirations.
“We take a lot of motivation from the Heat last year who had to play two play-in games and made it all the way to the Finals,” Thompson said, via Heat Nation. “I think we’re capable of a run like that. We obviously can’t look ahead, but whatever happens, we will be ready. We know that it can be done. There is no task too tall for us.”
Golden State is currently in a three-way tie with the Sacramento Kings and the Los Angeles Lakers, but with two games in hand, it can still try and finish eighth. Either way, Steve Kerr’s side will have to clinch a playoff berth via the Play-In.
Klay Thompson reacts during a game after scoring.
While finishing below the top six is not ideal for a team like the Warriors, the Heat proved last year that starting in the Play-In doesn’t mean your title hopes are over. In 2023, Miami defied all the odds.
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The Heat’s playoff run last year that inspires the Warriors
After losing to the Hawks in the game for the 7th seed, the Heat had to sweat to beat the Chicago Bulls at home. From then on, they played with a chip on their shoulders and shocked the NBA by reaching the Finals.
Erik Spoelstra’s side first upset the No. 1 seed Milwaukee Bucks 4-1, later taking down the New York Knicks 4-2 before eliminating the Boston Celtics in the Conference Finals in epic fashion (4-3). The only stain in that playoff run was a brutal loss to the Denver Nuggets in the Finals, with Nikola Jokic leading the team to the title in five games.
The Warriors have even more experience than the Heat in playoffs, but to make the Finals, they’d need to beat the conference rivals Nuggets first. Of course, the Dubs shouldn’t get ahead of themselves, but they can certainly enter the postseason with confidence regardless of their seed.
