When Kevin Durant returns, which could happen as soon as next week, the Warriors will be an appreciably better team than they were when he left.
Better because in Durant's absence, veteran wing Andre Iguodala found the best of his game and fully regained his shooting confidence.
Better because David West, who spent the first two quarters of the season acclimating to his new teammates and the third on the injury list, has settled in and turned up his fire and production to a level that pleads for more playing time.
Better because Stephen Curry is dancing and Klay Thompson is cooking and Draymond Green is destroying opposing offenses.
Better because everybody on this team can sense the postseason and is making the mental adjustment, while knowing they'll get an emotional bounce from Durant's presence on the floor.
"Obviously, you hate to see KD go down; he's going to be back soon," Curry told reporters after a 110-98 win over the Spurs in San Antonio. "But we never really lost confidence in ourselves. There was no panic. We've just battled."
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Consider that the Warriors, who own the best record in the NBA, are coming off two nights during which they also proved to be the best team. Going into Houston and San Antonio on successive nights, they extended their seven-game win streak to nine, the longest active streak at a time when all playoff teams wish to peak.
By wiping out a 22-point deficit to a Spurs team that simply doesn't allow that but did anyway even with Green completely off his offensive game.
And this was done with Durant observing and cheering from the bench in street clothes while also learning more about his teammates and appreciating what they've been able to accomplish.
Most notably, as a team, what they've done on defense. After recovering from the body blow that was losing Durant, losing five of seven in the process, the Warriors have pulled off a dazzling stretch during which they've taken apart all comers.
Prior to holding the Spurs to 41 percent from the field, the Warriors limited the explosive Rockets to 38.8 percent, the Grizzlies to 44.7 (34.8 in the decisive second half), the Kings to 48.2, the Mavericks to 35.9, the Thunder to 42.5, the Bucks to 40.4, the Magic to 37.2 and the 76ers to 43.8.
"We play a finesse style . . . but when we're at our best, you talk about our defense," Curry said. "It's about having each other's back, trying to do little things, physically, to keep teams out of the paint and off the glass."
What has happened is most everybody in the playing rotation has grown in the absence of Durant. And while some had to if the Warriors were to withstand his loss, that they managed to do so is significant. The evidence is visible and palpable, never more than late Wednesday night.
"We have what it takes to win all sorts of ways," Curry said. "Whether you're down 15 and can't figure out what's going on in the first quarter, or you put together a beautiful performance for 48 minutes, it doesn't matter. Night in and night out, you've just got to be ready to play."
At no point this season have the Warriors had reason to feel as good as they do returning home to Oracle Arena, where they will play six of their final seven games. Winning five more games gives them the No. 1 overall seed, regardless of what the Spurs do.
They're on top of their game and they're a few games away from adding the man who was their best player through the first 60 games.
By all appearances and insinuations, Durant will be back for the final two or three games of the regular season. That beats any trade-deadline deal eight days a week.
