Commentary: Playing the Grizzlies brought out the best in the Warriors

The Warriors summoned a deep and powerful force in their Christmas Day win over the Memphis Grizzlies.

You can call it anger, frustration, elitism, or disdain.

I call it pride.

The Warriors coaches and players — sans Steph Curry — found it within themselves to not just beat the Grizzlies, but to embarrass them on national television.

The veterans wanted to show Memphis that talking about being a dynasty and actually being a dynasty isn’t even close to being the same thing.

Jordan Poole wanted to prove that he is, in fact, the kind of player that can be the epicenter of a great offense.

The Warriors’ role players wanted to prove they could help the team win games.

In all, the Warriors deserved the win Sunday. There was energy throughout the 123-109 contest. There was a purpose to the Warriors’ game. The ball moved. Players moved. We were all moved by the abysmal refereeing in the contest.

But in that deserved victory, a question: Why can’t they play like this all the time?

Why must it take grudges and serious threats to spark the Warriors to play something resembling their best basketball?

Is this team going back to “bleh” basketball on Tuesday, when they play the Hornets?

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We’ve seen the Dubs make these kinds of pushes against top teams before — the Celtics felt Golden State’s wrath on Dec. 10. Golden State subsequently lost five of their next six games.

The fact is, with Curry out, the Warriors lack the quality to slack. They need to play like they did Sunday all the time. Even with Sunday’s win, they’re not treading water with Curry out of the lineup. But if this team were to come out with the pride they showed on Sunday every day, Curry might return to find the Warriors in a better place than when he left the lineup.

The Warriors will be without Curry for at least another two weeks. It could be longer than that, yet, keeping him out for the entirety of his team’s eight-game homestand.

The win over Memphis might stem things for a bit, but this Dubs’ season is teetering on the brink with Curry unable to play. If they continue to lose at the team’s current clip — three of four games before Sunday — they’ll start creating separation that previously did not exist between them and the Western Conference playoff field.

Golden State is still in an acceptable position: 2.5 games back of a true playoff spot in the Western Conference after Sunday’s games, and six games back of the first-place Denver Nuggets.

This is a team that’s in a position to strike.

Will that still be the case upon Curry’s return?

The Warriors continue to operate on the notion that the season is long — perhaps interminably so — and that, at least at this juncture, it’s more important to conserve energy than to win games.

That idea has to go.

Curry’s return is not imminent.

A bit more of what the Warriors found on Christmas, as taxing as playing hard might be, is necessary.

Because just as the Warriors are 2.5 games back of a real playoff spot, they are only 2.5 games up on the Lakers, who are 13-20 and not going anywhere this season. That, too, could be the Dubs’ fate.

The Warriors have seven-straight home games against some eminently beatable teams. Yes, there’s no Curry, but this is a great time to make a push.

The Warriors have shown they have the focus and energy to lock in and win games. It’s time to summon the spirit they unleashed on the hated Grizzlies and apply it to the Hornets, Jazz, Pistons, and Magic.

It’s time for the Warriors to apply some of that powerful pride to games that don’t feature rivals.

I call that professionalism.