Back in action after missing the playoffs the past few seasons, the Golden State Warriors are ready to make another title run. Their top-notch player development and veteran leadership are what has made them a world class organization and brought them back to this point. Although they've returned to postseason relevance, they've still had to overcome their fair share of hurdles this year.

From having to readjust to Klay Thompson being back in the lineup to Draymond Green missing significant time with a lower back injury, the Warriors have been up and down all season long. On top of that, Stephen Curry strained his left foot and was forced to miss the final 12 games of the season. With Curry out of the lineup the Dubs went 6-6, but were still able to hold the third seed out West.

The Warriors' next big test will be against a fierce and dynamic Denver Nuggets squad led by reigning league MVP Nikola Jokic. With all this going for the Warriors, we'll now discuss who their X-Factor will be during the first round of the 2022 NBA playoffs, and it certainly won't be Klay Thompson.

Warriors X-Factor in first round of 2022 NBA Playoffs

It goes without saying that this team can only go as far as Curry will lead them, and with his untimely injury their title hopes are now in jeopardy. With his return to the team still remaining a question mark, Curry's availability in this series will be vital to Golden State's postseason success.

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He's the motor that makes this team go and without him the Warriors' play on both ends of the floor is highly dysfunctional. Plus with James Wiseman still out injured, their lack of size is already a huge advantage for the Nuggets. If Curry is back in the lineup, they at least can have enough explosion on the offensive end to make up for this.

Not to mention “Chef” Curry is more dangerous without the ball, and even if he's just running all over the place creating opportunities for his teammates, it will still give them a major boost. There's no denying that his scoring, playmaking, and active hands on defense take this squad to another level. So if he's able to come back healthy in time for game 1 against the Nuggets, then this series will belong to the Warriors.

Curry's value to Golden State is unmatched and if they can get any level of productivity out of him throughout this series, then things will start to look up again in the Bay Area. Whether or not he'll be able to return to full strength by Saturday is still to be determined, but it won't do them much good if he's playing hobbled.

As a two-time league MVP and three-time NBA champion, Steph is no stranger to big moments. His clutch play and participative leadership have always played a major part in the Warriors' previous title runs. Now more than ever Golden State needs their franchise superstar to come in and show them the way as they aim to upend the Nuggets and win their first playoffs series since 2019.