The Weekly Dish, Presented by Mountain Dew Kickstart

As the Warriors approach the end of the regular season, they've been reminded of what's truly important.

For the week of Monday, Apr. 2 – Sunday, Apr. 8

It's been an emotional roller coaster, and the playoffs haven't even started yet.

Thus is the state of the Warriors, who are now down to five games remaining on their regular season schedule, coming off a week that saw both positive and frightening developments.

Let's start with the good stuff, shall we?

After Golden State opened the week with a low scoring loss to Indiana, it was great to see some of the Dubs' marquee players return to the lineup over the ensuing days. Kevin Durant returned to action in Thursday's loss to Milwaukee after missing the previous two weeks with a rib injury, and totaled 66 points in 82 minutes over five of the final six halves of the week. Draymond Green returned from a three-game absence in that same contest, and finished the week with averages of 10.7 points, 8.3 assists, 6.7 rebounds, 2.0 steals and 1.0 blocks per game. Finally, Klay Thompson, who missed eight games while nursing a fractured thumb, returned in time to help the Warriors sweep the weekend back-to-back over the Kings and Suns, scoring 25 and 23 points in each victory, respectively.

After last week, that All-Star trio has now outscored opponents by 9.2 points per 100 possessions in 329 minutes on the court together. To compare, the Warriors lead the NBA this season with a net rating of 9.1 points per 100 possessions.

Now, as great as those numbers are, they still pale in comparison to the gaudy statistics Golden State has put up with Stephen Curry in the lineup. The Warriors are better in nearly every statistical category with the two-time MVP in tow, but that speaks more to Curry's greatness than it does to any fault of the other players on the roster. The Dubs obviously hope to get a healthy Curry back in the lineup as soon as possible, but it can't hurt that Golden State has some time to learn how to play without him before the playoffs begin.

Now to the scary stuff.

The Warriors, Dub Nation and the rest of the NBA held their collective breaths on Saturday night when Patrick McCaw was fouled and came down awkwardly from a layup attempt, landing on his backside underneath the Kings' basket. Steve Kerr described the scene that unfolded as the "scariest thing [he has] experienced on a basketball court."

McCaw was removed from the game on a stretcher and taken to UC Davis Medical Center for further evaluation. Prior to resuming the game, both the Warriors and Kings joined arms in a prayer circle in a sign of solidarity for their injured NBA brother.

The Dubs would go on to win the game, but nobody cared to talk about it afterward. The team's heart and focus were rightfully with their teammate, who has been lauded for his constant effort and commitment to his craft.

Luckily, it appears McCaw may have avoided the worst. The second-year player's X-rays, CT scan and MRI exams all came back clear, and he did not suffer any structural or neural disruption. He was released from the hospital on Sunday with a lumbar spine contusion, and on Monday, took to Twitter to make his first public comments since suffering the injury:

At this time, McCaw's timetable for a potential return to game action remains unknown, but that's the least of his or the team's worries right now. Saturday's scary fall was a reminder to all involved that there are bigger things at stake than basketball, and none bigger than the health and welfare of the players that put their bodies on the line on a nightly basis.

The return of Durant, Green and Thompson to the lineup was undoubtedly a boon to the Warriors' spirits as they approach the final 10 days of the regular season. However, their return may have slightly overshadowed one of the best stories this year – not just in Golden State, but in the NBA at large.

You simply cannot say enough about how great Quinn Cook has performed in what couldn't have been an easy situation to inherit. The two-way player who put together the first 50-40-90 season in G League history this year gets called up to the big club to take the place of a two-time MVP in the starting lineup. And not only does he do an adequate job; he surpasses all reasonable expectations as well.

In the four games last week, Cook posted averages of 17.5 points, 4.8 assists and 3.8 rebounds per game on 52.8 percent shooting from the field and 50.0 percent shooting from three-point range. It may have come in a losing effort, but Cook's career-high 30 points scored against the Bucks on 12-of-15 shooting from the field and 5-of-5 shooting from beyond the arc is about as on-point of a Steph Curry impersonation as you'll ever see.

Cook has now scored in double figures in 10 consecutive games and has led the Warriors in scoring in half of those contests. There is only one Steph Curry, but Cook has already proven himself a capable NBA guard.

The Warriors' regular season schedule is rapidly coming to a close, with only five games remaining until the playoffs start, and four of those will take place in the week ahead. Golden State's week begins with road games in Oklahoma City and Indianapolis on Tuesday and Thursday, respectively, as the Dubs will close out their season series with the Thunder and Pacers. After that, the Warriors will return to the Bay Area to begin their final back-to-back sequence of the regular season. Golden State hosts the Pelicans on Saturday in their final home game of the season, before making the trip to Phoenix to face the Suns on Sunday. Of those four opponents, only the Suns are certain to miss the playoffs this year, so expect a playoff-like atmosphere as teams make their final push for the postseason.

Till next week.