Golden State Warriors' Schedule Breakdown and Record Predictions for January
The Golden State Warriors move into the 2015 year with some tough matchups in the month of January. The team welcomes the Oklahoma City Thunder, Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat and Chicago Bulls, while it has to travel to face the Thunder and Houston Rockets.
For fans of Oracle, the Dubs play mostly at home, with 11 games in Oakland and only four on the road. With the winning streak in the review-view mirror and the return of Andrew Bogut coming soon, coach Steve Kerr can get a more realistic look at what his team can deliver.
David Lee has meshed well in his new backup role, but he has not provided the same impact at the facilitator role that Bogut has so far. Lee needs to get a little dirtier in the trenches to create more opportunities for his teammates.
Now, let’s take a look at each week of the January schedule and the month as a whole.
January 2 – January 9
1 of 5
The Warriors roll into the new year with a January 2 matchup with the surprising Toronto Raptors. The conference-leading Raptors (24-7), playing without DeMar DeRozan (groin injury), have an 8-2 record versus the Western Conference.
This week is probably the toughest that the team has to face so far this season. Yes, the games are at home, but Coach Kerr’s squad will have two major nationally televised games.
The first is the January 5 tilt versus the Oklahoma City Thunder, who have played some spectacular and nail-biting games in Oakland. In the 114-109 win over the Thunder on December 18, the Warriors came back from a large, early deficit to hold off Russell Westbrook and the white-hot Kevin Durant, who left at halftime because of a right ankle sprain.
In between key matchups, the Warriors have to rumble with the Indiana Pacers, who are getting healthier with the return of George Hill. The Warriors can’t fall into trap mode and look forward to the next game.
The second national tilt is the Cleveland Cavaliers, who come into town with LeBron James, Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving. The Cavs have struggled at times this season, but this could potentially be an NBA championship preview.
I believe Golden State will hold its own in this week’s battle of elite matchups and go 3-1, with the only loss coming against a healthy Thunder squad.
January 10 – January 17
2 of 5
After a week filled with three tough games, the Warriors schedule does not get any easier, as they hit the road. A quick trip to face the Utah Jazz, a home game versus the Miami Heat and a trip to visit the Oklahoma City Thunder and Houston Rockets are on the Warriors’ agenda.
The biggest game here is the matchup versus the Houston Rockets on January 17. It is the second of a back-to-back following the January 16 tilt versus the Thunder, and Golden State will face Josh Smith as a Rocket for the first time.
The Warriors have been successful in the first two matchups versus the Rockets, including a 98-87 win in Houston on November 8. Dwight Howard has yet to play against the Dubs because of flu-like symptoms in the first and a right knee strain in the second.
The Warriors should handle the first two games in the week, but it will be too hard to go on the road and win back-to-back games. They will finish 2-2 this week.
January 18 – January 25
3 of 5
The Warriors get some home cooking, as they return home for the next five games and four that are played this week. The team gets an easier schedule, as it faces only one team with a winning record, the Houston Rockets.
Included on the Warriors’ agenda are games against the Denver Nuggets (January 19), Rockets (January 21), Sacramento Kings (January 23) and Boston Celtics (January 25).
Since the Rockets were the key game the previous week, this week’s key matchup is the NorCal rivalry game with the Kings. The Warriors get to see how new coach Tyrone Corbin has changed the style of play and whether Golden State's big men can stop DeMarcus Cousins.
The Dubs should handle all of the teams this week, but the James Harden, Howard and Smith matchup might overcome them. I say they stand their ground and go 4-0 this week.
January 26 – January 31
4 of 5
The last week of January gives the Warriors three contests against teams that they have already faced. The Chicago Bulls, Utah Jazz and Phoenix Suns are the three opponents in the final stanza of January.
The Chicago Bulls are the selected matchup of the week, as they look at getting revenge for the 112-102 loss to Golden State on December 6 in Chicago. The Bulls are trying to snag the Eastern Conference crown this season with talent like Jimmy Butler, Pau Gasol, Joakim Noah and Derrick Rose, and they currently hold the Central Division lead.
The remainder of the week gives the Warriors their second trip to Utah this month against a developing Jazz franchise and the final game of the month versus the team that gave Coach Kerr his first loss.
The Dubs will play well this week, but they will not bring their A-game against the Bulls. The other two contests will be victories, making it a 2-1 week.
The Month of January
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The Warriors come into the month of January sitting at the top of the NBA, and at the end of the month, they should be in the same position. Yes, the schedule gets a lot tougher, but the team has help from playing 11 out of 15 games in one of the Association’s most difficult arenas.
Based on the breakdown, the Warriors should finish the month with a 11-4 record after getting a better sense of the tougher teams. Anything less than a 10-5 mark would be disappointing at this time.
The reason for that statement relies on the fact that the team should have its complete lineup returning by the middle or even the end of the month. If Bogut and Ezeli have extended delays, other teams could take advantage of Golden State's small lineups.
However, this is Coach Kerr’s time to shine as a rookie coach, to show other teams that he can make the necessary adjustments and that he has a significant basketball IQ.
In the end, this month will answer the question of whether or not the Dubs are true title contenders. They are so far in my book.
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