The Warriors entered this season believing they could defy NBA history and stun the world with a deep postseason run. Their experienced core, still elite but averaging almost 37 years of age, was eager to chase the unprecedented.They knew even before the opening tip last Oct. 21 that one factor could deprive them of their quest. And, to put a finer point on it, decide the direction of their season.All the Warriors had to do was the hardest part of all for a team pinning its hopes on four members of the 35-and-up club: Stay healthy enough to peak entering the playoffs.Even with their record consistently straddling .500 through the first two months, the Warriors still believed if they finished fifth or sixth or even seventh in the Western Conference, that would be acceptable – if they were healthy for the postseason. They would then make the NBA’s youngsters, some of whom dismissed them as “too old,” respect their uncles.That dream went dark on Jan. 19. Just as the Warriors were starting to look like a team capable of threatening the top teams in the West, going 12-4 over a 30-day span, they lost 36-year-old Jimmy Butler III to a season-ending torn...