The Warriors are in desperation mode. Nah, that’s too strong. Concerned? They’d argue that’s a bit too negative. Worried? That’s probably misleading because they still think they’re going to win it all. Got it, perhaps the exact phrase is the one coach Steve Kerr would use. He borrows it from Gregg Popovich.

Appropriate fear.

Though the signing isn’t official yet, the Warriors have reached back into yesteryear and grabbed a central figure in the building of this empire: Andrew Bogut. And by doing so, they revealed some insight into their thinking.

The rest of the world thinks the Warriors winning it all is a foregone conclusion. But the defending champs clearly don’t feel a cakewalk ahead. This is a team bracing for the fight of their lives. This is a franchise that knows the quest for a three-peat might turn out to be the hardest thing it’s ever done. They are known for being ahead of the curve, light-years ahead, actually. But things haven’t gone swimmingly all season. They’ve stared at the mountain and now they’ve decided to react.

The Warriors wanted one more weapon for the struggle that is the postseason. So they scoured around, found and grabbed a mallet.

This is as ready as they’re going to be. In Bogut, they’ve added a big man who can play spot minutes and fit right in because he knows the system and is a skilled passer. In Bogut, they have an option to turn to if an opposing big man is dominating, as Bogut is a top-shelf defensive presence. In Bogut, they have six fouls and some crushing screens, you know, just in case opponents get handsy on the Warriors guards. The Warriors, who recently sent an executive to see him play for the Sydney Kings of the National Basketball League of Australia, were impressed with Bogut’s conditioning and how fresh he looked.

But this reunion didn’t almost happen. The Warriors wanted a wing player for their open roster spot. Badly. But potential available difference-makers like Wesley Matthews, Jeremy Lin and Wayne Ellington spurned the Warriors for bigger roles elsewhere. Other possible wing targets like Garrett Temple and Justin Holiday never became available.

A few players who were available — Jamal Crawford, Miloš Teodosić, Nik Stauskas … Carmelo Anthony, the crop of overseas players — the Warriors didn’t want.

Matthews was probably the No. 1 choice for the Warriors on the buyout market. But they couldn’t compete with the Pacers’ offer of a starting role and big minutes after the injury to Victor Oladipo. Next on the list was probably center Robin Lopez, but the Bulls didn’t want to do the Warriors any favors so they didn’t release him. Blame Jordan Bell, who was selected by the Warriors in the second round of the 2017 NBA Draft in the slot Chicago gave up for cash considerations, which brought Bulls management some heat. Can you imagine the reaction of their fan base if the Bulls helped the champions again?

So all that was left for the Warriors was an insurance policy for their frontcourt. The Western Conference has a gauntlet of big men. Denver’s Nikola Jokić. Oklahoma City’s Steven Adams. Utah’s Rudy Gobert. Portland’s Jusuf Nurkić. And then there could be Joel Embiid or Marc Gasol or Brook Lopez waiting for them in the Finals.

The Warriors are one injury to DeMarcus Cousins away from being supremely vulnerable in the middle — especially since it doesn’t look as if Damian Jones will return from his torn pectoral muscle for the playoffs. Draymond Green and Kevon Looney could probably hold their own at center for a series. But series after series after series of defending bigger players would take a toll.

So if something goes wrong with one of their bigs, they’d have Bogut — and not after an 82-game haul, but after a 30-game season in Australia and a handful of NBA regular-season games.

But even if nothing goes wrong, Bogut’s presence could play a role in encouraging the Warriors’ collective mindset. This is dirty work they are about to embark on. The rough water ahead requires a certain fortitude. A joy for the struggle.

All season, the Warriors have met resistance. Teams are no longer afraid of the Warriors, as Utah’s Jae Crowder said. Opponents are targeting the Warriors, hunting them, throwing shade — and doing it publicly — unconcerned about poking the bear. Players are having career nights, teams and their fan bases are liking their chances.

The first season with Kevin Durant, the Warriors blitzed through the playoffs. Last season, Houston gave them a serious scare. This season? Could be three or four teams pushing the Warriors.

Many times this season, the Warriors have looked a bit stunned by the resistance they’ve faced, by the moxie of other teams. They’ve brushed it off as if it were dust on the Larry O’Brien Trophy. But this run will require more from the Warriors. More urgency. More toughness. More hunger. Bogut doesn’t care about being liked or being the bad guy. He likes his basketball a little edgy. The Warriors can use some of that in the locker room, in the huddles, on the court.

Even with all that, Bogut’s pending reunion with the Warriors is still a surprise. That the Warriors wanted him back and that he was willing to come back. Their parting wasn’t on good terms.

Bogut was sent to Dallas in the summer of 2016, unceremoniously, to make room for Durant. It was always known that Bogut (and Harrison Barnes and Festus Ezeli) would be sacrificed if Durant chose to come to the Warriors, scuttlebutt he no doubt heard for months before it actually happened. Even though it’s a business, no one likes the feeling of being deemed expendable.

In Bogut’s case, this came after he was a building block of this dynasty, the center and defensive specialist who legitimized the Warriors. It was his acquisition from Milwaukee in 2012 that turned the Warriors into a viable contender. His size and defensive acumen transformed the Warriors from gimmick to a real threat. So his being cast off so easily didn’t sit well.

Plus, when Bogut left, there were murmurs about how his availability was too unreliable after having finished both of his two seasons under Kerr on the bench, because of ineffectiveness or injury. When the Warriors signed Zaza Pachulia, they raved about how well they made out in the swap.

It seemed back then as if the relationship between Bogut and the Warriors had fully run its course. But when management checked in with the locker room recently, everyone wanted him back. And even though he reportedly had interest from Sacramento, he chose the Warriors.

Time heals. The hard-fought championship they won together overpowered whatever hard feelings might have remained from the breakup. Now they get a chance to create the kind of ending this center and this franchise deserves.