If you squinted hard enough at the box score from the Warriors game in Sacramento on Wednesday, you could sell yourself that it was a positive performance.

No Steph Curry. No Jimmy Butler. No Draymond Green. The Warriors, trotting out a line-up that had a distinct G-League feel to it, somehow took the (also shorthanded) Kings down to the final minute. Will Richard — yes, the second-round rookie — dropped 30. Moses Moody and Jonathan Kuminga poured in 28 and 24, respectively.

It was a moral victory, right?

Sure.

Only moral victories don’t mean a thing in the NBA’s Western Conference.

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And if we’ve already resorted to moral victories and silver linings with the 2025-26 Dubs, well, then this whole operation is smelling a bit funny.

We’ve seen the Warriors when they are

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