Golden State Warriors

Warriors remind the world how good they are even without Steph Curry

Published Apr. 28, 2016 1:30 a.m. ET

Andrew Lynch

Although it took 48 minutes for the Golden State Warriors' Game 5 blowout of the Houston Rockets to officially end, the game was over with just over six minutes left in the second quarter.

Stephen Curry was on the sideline, as you know. Still, the Warriors were already up by 17 points, and Oracle Arena was raucous in Golden State's first home playoff game since Curry's knee injury. A Brandon Rush 3-pointer from the corner then extended the lead to 20, and the Warriors faithful did their thing, taking the noise to another level.

It felt cathartic. This team and its fans suffer no shortage of confidence on a daily basis, to be sure. Even Draymond Green, though, admitted prior to Game 5 that they don't have quite the same swagger without their MVP. In that moment well before halftime, with the moribund Rockets dead and buried, that hint of doubt evaporated. The arrogance was back in full force.

So went the night, as the Warriors played a beautiful game to close out the Rockets -- who, it must be acknowledged, offered less resistance in a closeout game than James Harden has shown on most defensive possessions this season. Golden State played as if it were whole, with all its usual basketball tenets. Make the right decision. Move the ball. Take the shot that will net you the most points in the long run.

When the Warriors have Curry, that process naturally points in his direction. Lose sight of him for a beat, and you're defeated. It's spectacular, yes, while at the same time monotonous in its inevitability.

On Wednesday, there was variety, and it started with the passing. Against Houston in Game 5, Golden State passed the ball 400 times, according to NBA.com/stats. During the regular season, the Warriors averaged 320 passes per game. Your eyes were not deceiving you if you thought the Warriors did a better job of moving the ball last night than they typically do; that's literally a 25 percent increase.

The sharing of the rock drowned the Rockets in defensive indecision and made Golden State fun in a way it simply can't be at full strength. Klay Thompson led the way in scoring with 27 points, draining 7 of his 11 3-pointers along the way. Most if not all came within the flow of the offense, as helpless Houston defenders flailed their way through multiple screens only to watch picture-perfect jumpers lofted over their heads. Green, meanwhile, was his usual dominant self. He snuffed out any semblance of Rockets offense, and only the ennui of the second half kept him from a triple-double.

The Warriors aren't the same team sans Curry, of course. A quirky game or two is meaningless on the grand scale, particularly when said game is a glorified scrimmage. But make no mistake: this is a team that can compete for a title with its best player on the sideline, if it should come to that.

They are undoubtedly vulnerable, and they should by no means be considered favorites to repeat. They're without a clear go-to scorer as it stands now. To some extent, that's generally an overblown concern. Running good plays beats pure hero ball on most days. On the other hand, there was that whole "Draymond dribbling off his foot and Golden State losing to Houston" thing that happened without Curry on the floor in Game 3. So, you know. It helps to have that role filled.

Beyond that lack of a clutch-time answer, nowhere is the Warriors' vulnerability more clear than with their weakened depth. Anderson Varejao saw the floor in Game 5. Yeah, the Warriors were up by a pretty hefty margin. But it's still Anderson Varejao. Sorry, Andy. We love you. But your playoff contributions should probably be limited to creative bench celebrations at this point in your career.

Against a deep San Antonio Spurs team in a potential Western Conference finals, this could be a pretty big issue. Even against the Oklahoma City Thunder, a thin team in their own right, Golden State's revamped second unit will need a stable offensive force -- if for no other reason than to avoid getting into a disjointed mess of a shootout with Dion Waiters and Enes Kanter.

Whether that means bringing Harrison Barnes off the bench or being more flexible with the rotations, coach of the year Steve Kerr will have an answer, and he might have tipped his hand on Wednesday. In the first quarter, Andre Iguodala entered the game a little earlier than the Finals MVP would normally check in. Conversely, Green was on the floor for several stretches throughout the game with reserve-heavy lineups. That's the luxury of being one of the best teams in NBA history.

Versatility defines Golden State. When Curry is healthy, that adaptability takes the team to a peerless level. For now, it will keep the Warriors afloat as they cling to the hope their star point guard can somehow get back to 100 percent before the postseason ends.