Golden State Warriors' Schedule Breakdown and Record Predictions for February
Much like the summer months during a Major League Baseball season, January and February are often considered the dog days of a typical campaign in the National Basketball Association.
At this point, teams have already played more than half of their 82-game schedule, and tired legs are yearning for the opportunity to recharge during the All-Star break before the final sprint toward the playoffs.
Unfortunately for the Golden State Warriors, the month of February doesn't just consist of a few games sprinkled around the midseason classic. Instead, Golden State will begin a stretch that has them playing 11 of their next 13 games on the road. A true test for the Western Conference's best team—record-wise, anyway—and a test that no other franchise across the league will go or already has gone up against this year.
As of this writing, head coach Steve Kerr's club has already crossed two games off their February calendar, both of which resulted in wins at the Sacramento Kings, 121-96, and at home against the Dallas Mavericks, 128-114, a game in which, oh by the way, Stephen Curry went off for 51 points on 10-of-16 shooting from long range.
This is just the tip of the iceberg, though. The Warriors still have four more games before Kerr, Curry and Klay Thompson head for New York City on February 14. And when they get back, they'll still have five opponents lined up, waiting to knock them off before we get into March.
Here's a look at what's waiting for them throughout the remainder of February.
February 1-7
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Feb. 3 at Sacramento Kings (W, 121-96)
Feb. 4 vs. Dallas Mavericks (W, 128-114)
Feb. 6 at Atlanta Hawks
Feb. 7 at New York Knicks
Notable Matchup: at Atlanta Hawks
Perhaps The Boston Globe's Bob Ryan said it best in a tweet early Friday afternoon:
"Raise your hand if you told everyone before the season to circle Feb 6 on the calendar because it would be the epic clash of GS at Atl.
— Bob Ryan (@GlobeBobRyan) February 6, 2015"
If your hand is raised, you're lying.
Following their 38-44 finish last year, nobody really expected Mike Budenholzer's Hawks to be the beasts of the East in 2014-15. And while the Warriors still had an incredible amount of talent on their roster left over from the Mark Jackson era, there may have understandably been a few skeptics who wondered how well Kerr could lead this team with zero head coaching experience.
But here we are.
Each team currently sits in first place in its respective conference and are the only two squads in the league that can lay claim to at least an .820 winning percentage.
As cliche as it is, this game will ultimately come down to who plays better defensively.
Although both squads are proud owners of top-five defenses in terms of points allowed per 100 possessions, according to NBA.com, it will be interesting to see how Atlanta plans to contain Thompson. Kyle Korver has been solid on defense this year, and he's holding opponents to under 3 percent of their usual shooting clip from beyond the arc, per NBA.com.
Thompson isn't your average shooter, though. He's a deadly sniper who moves craftily around the floor in order to free himself up for open looks. Not that Thompson's tendencies are anything out of the ordinary for Korver, who does the same thing on offense himself, but opponents feast on the 34-year-old off the dribble. It's a skill Thompson has vastly improved on since last year.
The Hawks could always try shifting DeMarre Carroll onto Thompson, but that would leave Korver to check Harrison Barnes, another potential mismatch.
Golden State will have to be careful on Saturday, too, even if it is just a matchup with the lowly Knicks. After a tough battle with Atlanta, the Warriors could easily just go through the motions and accidentally lose one to Carmelo Anthony and Co.
at Atlanta Hawks: win
at New York Knicks: win
Record: 2-0
February 8-13
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Feb. 9 at Philadelphia 76ers
Feb. 11 at Minnesota Timberwolves
Notable Matchup: at Minnesota Timberwolves
The week leading up to All-Star Weekend is, admittedly, a bland one for Golden State. But even though it'll be taking on some of the league's bottom-feeders in Philadelphia and Minnesota, the matchup with the Timberwolves is still one of slight intrigue.
The Warriors will get their first look at all three of Minnesota's top players: Ricky Rubio, Kevin Martin and Nikola Pekovic. Each missed the team's first two games due to injury, and they'll almost certainly be looking to prove that they're better than the team Golden State handled by a combined 29 points earlier in the year.
Timberwolves rookie Andrew Wiggins has also improved since the Warriors last saw him on December 27, and Zach LaVine seems to be carving out a nice role for himself as well.
But neither Minnesota nor Philly have enough firepower to upset these Warriors. Golden State will take these two games and be on its way.
at Philadelphia 76ers: win
at Minnesota Timberwolves: win
Record: 2-0
February 13-19: All-Star Weekend
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The Warriors will have plenty of representation at this year's All-Star Weekend.
In his first season as an NBA head coach, Steve Kerr and the rest of his staff will lead the Western Conference All-Stars in Sunday night's game in New York City.
Not only will Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson be playing in that game under Kerr, but they'll also be in Brooklyn on Saturday night to participate in the Three-Point Contest.
As for the rest of the team, well, the majority of players will most likely either be taking some time off or they'll be in attendance on the nights both their teammates and coaches will be heavily featured.
It may not be the ideal time for the players to get some extra reps in as a team, but the opportunity to strengthen their bond as a team even further while they are in New York could be just as valuable.
February 20-28
4 of 5
Feb. 20 vs. San Antonio Spurs
Feb. 22 at Indiana Pacers
Feb. 24 at Washington Wizards
Feb. 26 at Cleveland Cavaliers
Feb. 27 at Toronto Raptors
Notable Matchup: at Cleveland Cavaliers
The post-All-Star break portion of the Warriors' February schedule is where things get especially tough. They'll take on four teams that seem to be a lock to make this year's postseason and another, in the Indiana Pacers, that's looking to claw its way back into the picture.
Getting the unofficial second half of the season started with the San Antonio Spurs isn't something any team hopes for. They'll be well-rested and extremely prepared for the Warriors given all the time they'll have to practice and study film over the break (Tim Duncan, All-Star, and Marco Belinelli, Three-Point Contest, are the only two Spurs competing New York City).
That being the case, Golden State may struggle against a team with all the experience that the Spurs have. They've had multiple All-Stars before, and they know what it takes to return to the mental state one needs to have in order to resume the regular season on a good note.
As for the Pacers, Golden State should be able to handle them. They're still without Paul George, and George Hill's health seems to constantly be up in the air lately. Roy Hibbert and David West won't be enough to secure a win for Indiana.
Two days later, the Warriors are scheduled to be in D.C. for a meeting with the Wizards. These are the kinds of games that John Wall makes sure he's pumped up for. He loves playing the guys who are among the best at his position, and Curry certainly is that. But in order for Washington to win, it'll have to get big contributions out of Bradley Beal and Paul Pierce which isn't always a guarantee these days.
Then it's on to the Cavaliers, easily the most notable matchup of the week. The last time these teams met on January 9, LeBron James did not play (hence the picture of him in a Miami Heat uniform), Cleveland was still in a major state of flux and the Warriors won by a 112-94 final score.
This time, though, the Cavs will prove to be a much fiercer opponent. With James back in the lineup, Kyrie Irving playing some really good basketball and Kevin Love starting to figure out where he fits in, Cleveland won't be an easy out. Currently on a 12-game winning streak, David Blatt has his team running on all cylinders—a dangerous thought for Golden State.
Finally, GSW will wrap up it's February schedule with a trip north of the border. There, the Warriors will take on Kyle Lowry's Raptors who currently sit in second place in the East. Toronto has struggled lately, but as they incorporate DeMar DeRozan back into the offense, they should get themselves back on track.
vs. San Antonio Spurs: loss
at Indiana Pacers: win
at Washington Wizards: win
at Cleveland Cavaliers: loss
at Toronto Raptors: win
Record: 3-2
Overall
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However the Warriors make out in February will go a long way in answering any questions about their ability to make a deep postseason run and perhaps contend for a title.
All but two of their games are on the road this month, and all but four of their opponents have a legitimate chance at playing more than 82 games this season.
Any games they may drop against teams such as New York, Philadelphia or Minnesota can probably be taken with a grain of salt. But it will be how they deal with facing juggernauts such as Cleveland, Washington, Toronto and San Antonio that will be the most telling.
Picking Golden State to win seven out of its nine remaining February games seems about right. That would leave the Warriors with a 9-2 record in the month, good for a .818 winning percentage which is just slightly below their percentage for the entire season (.830).
Absolute worst-case scenario would be if they lose more games than they win. Luckily for them, though, it just doesn't seem like that's a possibility. The Warriors are simply too good on both ends of the floor for them to get pushed around by many of their peers.
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