The Golden State Warriors already knew next season was going to come with some uncertainty. An underwhelming offseason and long-term injuries to Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody saw to that. But Thursday’s NBA schedule release handed them something else to worry about: a punishing finish that could leave them drained before the playoffs even begin.
Golden State will spend seven of its final nine regular-season games on the road, and the stretch is not exactly forgiving. It includes a back-to-back in Oklahoma City, plus road trips to face the Philadelphia 76ers and Minnesota Timberwolves.
That kind of closing run puts the Warriors in a difficult spot, especially with Butler sidelined and the roster already looking thin. Given the way last season ended, there’s a real chance they spend much of the year fighting just to get into the Play-In Tournament - or, if things break right, trying to hang onto a top-six spot in the Western Conference over the final 10 games.
There is at least a silver lining if you want to squint hard enough. A brutal late-season slate can sharpen a team, force playoff-level intensity early and maybe even help Golden State arrive battle-tested. And if the Thunder have wrapped up a top-two or top-three seed by then, resting could open the door a bit for the Warriors.
But the tradeoff is obvious. Golden State is not likely to be the team easing into April, saving legs and managing minutes. More likely, it will be forced to grind through every possession, leaning hard on its veterans just to hold position in the standings.
That matters because the Warriors have already shown how costly those late-season pushes can be. Last April, they survived a dramatic road win over the L.A.
Clippers in the first Play-In game, only to get flattened by the Phoenix Suns in the next one. The year before, they needed a 23-8 finish just to land the seventh seed, then fought through a seven-game first-round series against the two-seed Houston Rockets.
The toll showed up fast: Stephen Curry broke down with a hamstring injury in Game 1 of the second round, and that was that for any hope of reaching the Western Conference Finals.
It’s the danger of carrying an aging veteran core through a crowded middle of the standings. And with this kind of finish waiting for them, the Warriors could be asking a lot just to make the playoffs - let alone survive once they get there.
In Other News...
Joe Lacob Just Reopened A Painful Warriors Draft Debate
Jonathan Kuminga has been out of Golden State for more than six months, but the debate around how the Warriors handled his arrival has not really gone anywhere. Drafted more than five years ago, Kuminga was supposed to be part of the franchises next wave, and his departure only sharpened the scrutiny on a pick that was once viewed as a major swing for the future.
Joe Lacob recently stepped back into that conversation by defending the decision to draft Kuminga, saying he does not consider it a mistake even with the forward no longer on the roster. The timing makes the topic linger a little longer, too, with Kuminga still unsigned several weeks into free agency and now being mentioned as a possible target for the Los Angeles Lakers. [Read more 🡒]
Stephen Curry Still Has One Thing The Warriors May Be Wasting
The Warriors have spent years leaning into stability, keeping the same core of players, coach and ownership intact while much of the league has churned around them. Even as the Lakers have gone through another ownership change and remade their roster around Luka Doni, Golden State has mostly stayed the course, trusting continuity to keep the window open for Stephen Curry and the rest of the group.
But that patience can also raise a harder question: when a franchise protects its structure this aggressively, is it getting the most out of its greatest asset, or simply preserving what it already knows? Curry remains the face of everything Golden State wants to be, and the contrast with teams willing to move quickly to secure a superstar future only sharpens the sense that the Warriors may be relying on continuity at a moment when a little more urgency could matter. [Read more 🡒]
Juan Toscano-Anderson Still Means Something Special To Oakland Fans
Juan Toscano-Andersons return to Oakland this week carried the kind of easy familiarity that has made him a favorite far beyond his box score value. He took part in the unveiling of a refurbished basketball court and mural at the OK Program of Oakland, a nonprofit centered on mentoring Black youth, and used the moment to speak about his path to the NBA and the pride that comes with representing your hometown.
Toscano-Anderson also spent time on the court with the kids, mixing conversation with a little basketball and spending time with program leaders and participants. For Warriors fans who still connect him with the citys basketball roots, it was another reminder that his bond with Oakland is about more than the memories he made there as a player. [Read more 🡒]