Parity in NBA playoffs gives Dunleavy confidence in Warriors’ title return

Parity in NBA playoffs gives Dunleavy confidence in Warriors’ title return originally appeared in NBC Sports Bay Area

After watching the NBA playoffs without his Warriors, Mike Dunleavy is not only confident that Golden State can return to the tournament next season, but can still compete for a championship.

While speaking to reporters Monday at Chase Center at a pre-2024 NBA Draft press conference, the Warriors general manager explained why watching this year’s playoff field battle for the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy gave him confidence in Golden State’s chances of doing the same next season.

“I think just in terms of the postseason, how competitive it is in terms of parity. I think you look at the last five seasons, you have five different champions,” Dunleavy said. “I think this is exciting for the league in the sense that everyone has a chance in some capacity, whether it’s a play-in team that makes the Finals or a team like 5th-ranked Dallas that makes the Finals.”

“Everybody has a chance if you come together at the right time. I don’t think there are any overwhelming teams out there. It gives us a chance, a team that didn’t make the playoffs last year and ourselves, you know, how far we are really. Sometimes you say, ‘man, we’re way off.’ The way things are shaped now, there’s a push for parity, I think we can change things very quickly.”

The Boston Celtics, the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference with the best record in the league, were finally crowned champions after defeating the Dallas Mavericks, the No. 5 seed in the Western Conference, in five games.

In 2023, it was the Denver Nuggets who defeated the eight-seeded Miami Heat.

While top seeds like Boston and Denver have prevailed the past two years, lower-seeded teams have been in contention until the end.

Dunleavy knows that if the Warriors secure a spot in the tournament next season, anything will be possible.

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