Golden State Warriors Schedule Breakdown and Record Predictions for December
With the month of November coming to a close soon, the Golden State Warriors currently sport a sparkling 11-2 record. As great as hot starts are, however, sustainability is key.
The month of December will bring a new slew of challenges, and if the Warriors hope to match their early success, they’ll have to take down some of the elite teams in the Western Conference.
With matchups in Texas looming on the horizon and young players licking their chops to prove themselves against the Warriors, this month will be a stiff test for Golden State.
Or in other words, get ready for a lot of fun basketball.
Let's take a look at the entire month of December and spotlight the best matchup each week. Will the Warriors be able to match their mesmerizing start? Time to find out.
Dec. 1-7: Orlando Magic, New Orleans Pelicans, Chicago Bulls
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Notable matchup: New Orleans Pelicans
Sometimes it’s not about the record of a team but about the superstar who plays for them. When it comes to the New Orleans Pelicans and Anthony Davis, that is exactly the case.
Davis is a rare talent—the kind that only comes around once in a lifetime. A combination of freakish length and athleticism, he has become an unstoppable force in the league.
To see Davis is to see arguably the best two-way player in the league. He ranks second in the NBA with 26.3 points per game. He sends away anything at the rim, blocking 3.5 shots per game. He’s a menace on the glass, gobbling up 11.4 rebounds a night.
All of that adds up to a league-leading 35.96 player efficiency rating.
That wasn’t a typo.
Davis on his own is must-see television, but against the Warriors? That’s the game of the week. This is one you won’t want to miss.
All that being said, as good as Davis is, no one player is good enough to beat the Warriors on his own. While obviously anything can happen, look for the Warriors to notch the win here.
The rest: Orlando Magic, Chicago Bulls
There's not much to look forward to here. The Magic have a bright future, but they’re worlds away from the Warriors at the moment.
The Bulls matchup on paper looks great, but unfortunately, it appears that their players are made up of that same paper. The Warriors should handle the young Magic and the depleted Bulls with ease.
Record: 3-0
Dec. 8-14: Minnesota, Houston, Dallas, New Orleans
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Notable Matchups: Houston Rockets, Dallas Mavericks
Picking the best matchup for the second week was tough—so tough, I took the liberty of picking two.
So I cheated. Sue me. It could have been three with another matchup with the Pelicans also that week. Did I mention that that Anthony Davis guy is really good?
We talked enough about him earlier, though, so let's focus on the two Texas teams.
The Houston Rockets come first, and they’ve proven to be as good as advertised. James Harden might be the butt of all of our defensive jokes, but the Rockets defense as a whole? Well, that’s no joke at all.
The Rockets are allowing just 91.7 points per game this season, behind only—who else—the San Antonio Spurs.
Harden's blunders aside, the Rockets are as stingy as they come. Who would have thought at the beginning of the season that the Rockets would be a bottom-10 offense and have the second-best defense?
Not this guy.
The Warriors handed the Rockets a loss in Oakland earlier this season. Look for Houston to even the score when the Warriors make their trip to Texas.
On the opposite end of the spectrum are the Dallas Mavericks. Stopping the Mavericks for a full 48 minutes is next to impossible.
Fortunately for the Warriors, they have the necessary firepower to outscore them. While Dallas leads the league in points per game with 109.3, the Warriors are hot on their heels with 106.5—good for third.
The Warriors defense will find a way to get the key stops late in the game. Draymond Green is the type of defender who terrorizes Dirk Nowitzki. Look for his quickness to cancel out Nowitzki’s height advantage.
We’ll give the Warriors the split on their Texas road trip.
The rest: Minnesota Timberwolves, New Orleans Pelicans
Like the Pelicans, the Minnesota Timberwolves have a young, emerging player in Andrew Wiggins, who is worth the price of admission on his own. While he has a way to go in his development as a player, the sheer athleticism the young man possesses is riveting.
At the end of the day, as fun as Davis and Wiggins are, they won’t be enough to stop one of the most dominant teams in the NBA.
Record: 3-1
Dec. 15-21: Memphis Grizzlies, Oklahoma City Thunder
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Notable matchups: Memphis Grizzlies, Oklahoma City Thunder
Time to cheat again, but with matchups like these, who can blame me?
We’ll start with the Memphis Grizzlies, the one team in the NBA that has looked every bit as impressive in the early going as the Warriors (sorry, Toronto Raptors fans—I don’t trust anyone in the Eastern Conference).
The rise of Marc Gasol has been absolutely fascinating. From trade filler to Defensive Player of the Year, Gasol has now emerged as a bona fide MVP candidate. While his numbers aren’t quite at Anthony Davis' level, his impact is felt every time he hits the court.
Gasol has always been known for his elite defense and passing ability, but the scoring is now there as well. Pouring in just a shade under 20 points per game, his offense has caught up to his defense.
When paired with guys like Zach Randolph, Tony Allen and Mike Conley, the Grizzlies will be the stiffest test for the Warriors to date.
Look for Memphis to pick up the win at home in this one.
With the Oklahoma City Thunder, it’s very simple: If Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook play, this is one of the marquee games of the year. No two teams offer as much potential flair as the Warriors and the Thunder.
With reports that Westbrook and Durant returned to practice this week, it’s looking like all hands will be on deck for this one.
Forget the Thunder’s record right now. With those two stars back, they instantly vault back to the ranks of the elite.
As it is with all players, it will take some time for them to get back in the swing of things—particularly for Durant, who has missed the entire season. If the Thunder are firing on all cylinders for this matchup, the Warriors could have their hands full.
This should be a fun matchup—one that the Warriors will find a way to win in front of their home crowd.
Record: 1-1
Dec. 22-31: Sacramento, LA Lakers, LA Clippers, Minnesota, Philadelphia
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Notable Matchup: Los Angeles Clippers
This doesn’t really need any explanation. The Warriors and the Los Angeles Clippers have developed one of the premier rivalries in the NBA—one that is sure to escalate this season.
The matchup at point guard between Chris Paul and Stephen Curry is the main event, but the battles down low with Blake Griffin, DeAndre Jordan, Andrew Bogut and Green should be just as exciting.
While the Clippers have gotten off to a slow start this season, there’s something about playing the Warriors that brings out the best of both teams. The fact that the game is on prime time—on Christmas Day no less? Sounds like NBA fans were nice this year.
This one has all the makings of a back-and-forth affair, but based on the way both teams are playing right now, we’ll give this round to the Warriors.
The rest: Sacramento Kings, Los Angeles Lakers, Minnesota Timberwolves, Philadelphia 76ers
The Sacramento Kings have proven to be one of the surprise teams of the young NBA season, and there’s no secret why: DeMarcus Cousins has emerged as a true star in the league.
While he’s probably a tier below Gasol and Davis, he’s closing the gap rapidly. His improved leadership has settled the perpetually putrid Kings and made them a force to be reckoned with. They’ll have a statement win over the Warriors to celebrate over the holidays.
As for the Los Angeles Lakers, the Timberwolves and the Philadelphia 76ers? Other than a chance to see the immortal Kobe Bryant or the worst team in the league by a mile, there’s not much to look forward to here. The Warriors will take these easily.
Record: 4-1
Final Record
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With the way the Warriors have started, there’s no reason to believe their hot start won’t continue. They’ll hit a few road bumps here and there, but there is just too much firepower to derail this team.
They’ll face some stiff competition with teams like the Grizzlies and the Rockets in the fold, but as long as they beat the teams that they’re supposed to beat, December should be a successful month for the Warriors.
Obviously, much of this is depending on the Warriors staying healthy for this stretch, and with David Lee currently on the shelf and Andrew Bogut just narrowly avoiding injury himself, that’s no sure thing.
The Warriors can’t be content with their 11-2 start to the season. They need to stay greedy.
As they saw last season in their postseason matchup with the Clippers, home-court advantage matters. Wins at the start of the season mean just as much as the ones at the end.
Look for the Warriors to keep the good times rolling.
December record: 11-3
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