There is an air of hope surrounding the Golden State Warriors as they approach the stretch run of the 2023-24 season. Stephen Curry has been on fire as of late, utilizing Draymond Green as the starting center has worked like a charm, while the team's youngsters, particularly Jonathan Kuminga and Brandin Podziemski, have emerged as important pieces for the team.

However, one former Warriors player isn't sold on the team's chances of mounting a deep playoff run. Speaking on ESPN's Get Up, Tim Legler voiced out his opinion that the Dubs are first-round fodder at best and bound for an early play-in tournament exit at worst.

“Best-case scenario, a first-round loss. Worst-case, a play-in loss. I just don't see Golden State making that kind of a run. They're too small, they're not good enough defensively, and they have too many guys playing below their career norm. It's not just one guy. They've been better of late but when you look at the Western Conference, I just don't see Golden State winning a series,” the former Warriors guard said.

Warriors fans may not like how Tim Legler views the team's playoff viability, but the retired guard has some valid concerns. The Dubs have been plagued by plenty of issues this season; their lack of size remains, Klay Thompson and Andrew Wiggins have both declined, and with the decline of those two aforementioned players, the Warriors may not have enough top-tier talent on the wing that's necessary to complement a Stephen Curry-led team.

Currently, the Dubs are five games back of the sixth spot in the Western Conference; if they do end up claiming one of the four lower seeds in the playoffs, they'll end up facing one of the Minnesota Timberwolves, Oklahoma City Thunder, Los Angeles Clippers, and Denver Nuggets. Beating any of those teams will be a difficult task, even though the Warriors should have the advantage in terms of cumulative playoff pedigree.

Nonetheless, the Warriors know that they have a chance of winning any series for as long as Stephen Curry remains one of the ten best players in the NBA. That confidence could end up fueling the Dubs in their bid to prove doubters, such as Tim Legler, wrong.