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Are the Warriors back to Being Media Darlings?

It’s said that absence makes the heart grow fonder, and the absence of the Golden State Warriors as NBA Finals contenders has been longer than expected. It was anticipated that the Warriors were going to take a step back this year, but their drop in play became even more apparent via the limited play of Stephen Curry and the outright absence of the Warriors in the bubble. Combine the lack of star power on the roster with an abysmal record, and the Dubs went from the league’s top villain to relative unknowns.

In that time away from the spotlight, the Warriors have quietly managed to not just rebuild their team, but their public image as well. A large part of that is due to the players no longer on their roster. Their most obvious source of scorn in Kevin Durant is now a Brooklyn Net, hobnobbing with fellow NBA villain Kyrie Irving. Neither are bad people (Irving especially has made some fantastic contributions over the past few months), but it cannot be denied that some of their views have clashed with common lines of NBA thought. The Dubs have also cleansed themselves of players who have reputations of being pests, such as Zaza Pachulia or Andrew Bogut.

However, the players on the roster have done their part in terms of cozying up to the at-large NBA fanbase. It helps that Draymond Green is now four years removed from impersonating a martial artist in the 2016 playoffs, but he was not content to let father time do all the work for him. His entertaining run on TNT has made public opinion of him take a 180 degree turn: after he was fined for trashing the Phoenix front office, fans of all teams flocked to his defense. Imagine that happening even one year ago!  

For their part, the Splash Brothers have stayed in the public eye despite playing a combined four games in the 2019-2020 NBA season. Klay Thompson may not have done anything as viral as autographing a toaster, but never underestimate the power of a bulldog to break the internet. How do you not love a man who watches Mortal Kombat and plays chess with his canine companion? This six-minute short about his comeback from injury is one of the best pieces of Basketball film work under ten minutes this year. To top it off, his stint as a sideline reporter was as comical as you would think. Incredibly, he might have been the lesser reporter, as Stephen Curry’s time in the booth was can’t-miss. Steph also took his social media game to the next level this year, going viral by impersonating Joel Embiid and an incredible post hyping his return against the Toronto Raptors.

Outside of the big-name players, the Warriors have garnered support in more guerrilla ways, namely by churning out some of the league’s most loveable reclamation projects. Having perfected the formula after producing rotation-quality players out of afterthoughts like Javale McGee and Nick Young, the Warriors focused their energy on a trio of former lottery picks in Dragan Bender, Willie Cauley-Stein, and Marquese Chriss. It’s easy to see how this strategy of giving former busts a second chance in the league garners both interest and popularity: Netflix may have a leg to stand on to sue the Warriors for copyright infringement on Last Chance U. Nevertheless, the rise of Marquese Chriss in the Warriors system only makes the team more endearing. Extend that same argument tenfold for Andrew Wiggins, the only number one draft pick on the Dubs’ roster.

It also doesn’t hurt that Golden State’s most recent draft class is so darn loveable. Eric Paschall has been the standout thus far from an on the court standpoint, a mature player whose success story as a second-round draft pick makes him easy to root for. Despite having a rocky season, Jordan Poole has never been seen without a smile on his face. Alen Smailagic didn’t see much time on the court, but played some of the most entertaining ball of the season.

The Warriors will get to be somewhat of an underdog in the coming season, which will no doubt be a refreshing experience for Dubs fans and NBA watchers alike. As always, public images are shaky: if the Warriors draft Lamelo Ball and Draymond Green inks a deal with Big Baller Brand, that would quickly eliminate any love they’ve garnered over the past year. However, in the absence of a PR catastrophe like the one above, the Warriors stand to benefit from a change in their role. Not only will their overall reception be warmer, but it’s easy to imagine an NBA media push for a Stephen Curry MVP season should the Dubs manage to snag a top seed in the Western Conference. In fact, the Warriors could realistically contend for each NBA honor. They boast one of the league’s best coaches, will have a top draft pick, and have money to invest in a sixth man. Awards aside, one thing is for sure: in a new arena with a new image, the Warriors will look for nothing more than the same old results.

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