Warriors 2020-21 Schedule: Top Games, Championship Odds and Record Predictions

On the heels of one of the most disappointing seasons in franchise history, the Golden State Warriors are poised to return to contention during the 2020-21 campaign.

After five straight trips to the NBA Finals, including three championships, the Warriors posted the worst record in the NBA last season at 15-50.

The departure of Kevin Durant, along with Klay Thompson missing the entire season and Stephen Curry missing nearly the entire season, all played a role in Golden State going from the penthouse to the basement in one year.

With Curry back healthy to play alongside the likes of Draymond Green, Andrew Wiggins, the newly acquired Kelly Oubre Jr. and rookie No. 2 overall pick James Wiseman, the Warriors seemingly have the pieces needed to get back near the top of the Western Conference, although losing Thompson for the season because of a torn Achilles won't be easy to overcome.

Here is a rundown of the Warriors' first-half 2020-21 schedule, along with a closer look at the biggest games on tap and predictions for how they will fare in the upcoming season.

2020-21 Warriors Schedule Details

Season Opener: Dec. 22 at 7 p.m. ET vs. the Brooklyn Nets on TNT

Championship Odds: 25-1, per FanDuel. 

First-Half Schedule: NBA.com

Top Matchups

Brooklyn Nets 

Talk about a fun way to open the season.

After leading the Warriors to the playoffs in each of his three seasons with the team and winning a pair of NBA Finals MVP awards, Kevin Durant signed with the Brooklyn Nets last offseason.

KD didn't appear in a game during the 2019-20 season, however, as he was working his way back from a torn Achilles suffered in the 2019 NBA Finals.

That meant Durant and the Warriors didn't meet at all last season, but the long-awaited clash will happen during the 2020-21 campaign, and it will undoubtedly be among the most-talked-about games of the season.

While the lack of fans in attendance will take some of the shine away, NBA fans watching at home are still undoubtedly excited about KD's first clash with the Warriors since leaving.

The thought of Durant and Kyrie Irving going up against Curry and Thompson is exciting, especially given KD's history with Golden State.

Also, it is well-documented that things were turbulent between Durant and Green during his final season with the Warriors, and if Green is tasked with covering KD, then things could get explosive.

On top of all that, the Nets will be a good measuring stick for the Warriors and vice versa, as both are potential contenders, but they have to prove themselves first.

Los Angeles Lakers

A game against the reigning NBA champions is always significant, but it will hold even greater meaning than usual for the Warriors next season.

After Golden State owned the Western Conference for five consecutive years, the Lakers rose up and took that spot in 2019-20 thanks to the play of LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Next season, the Warriors will undoubtedly be out for revenge in hopes of returning to the top of the mountain.

Fans got a taste of what the rivalry could be two years ago when the LeBron-led Lakers faced the Warriors, but things are much different this time around.

When the teams played in 2018-19, the Warriors were the alpha team and the Lakers had something to prove, but the roles are now reversed. Also, the Lakers have since added Davis, and the Warriors have lost Durant, so the matchup should feel quite fresh.

If the Warriors are going to go from first to worst to first in a matter of three years, then the Lakers are the main team standing in their way and the biggest obstacle for them to work around.

The Lakers figure to be favored barring injuries, but if Curry is healthy and hitting his shots, then Golden State has a chance to beat anyone, including the Lakers.

Warriors fans will be interested to see how their team fares against the best of the best next season, and there will be no bigger challenge than LeBron, AD and the Lakers.

Season Forecast

As far as the Warriors are concerned, there is nowhere to go but up following a disastrous 2019-20 season that saw essentially everything imaginable go wrong.

It has been quite some time since they were forced to do so, but the Warriors reached two consecutive NBA Finals with a core of Curry, Thompson and Green before Durant arrived, so it's possible that they can return to that level again provided Curry and Green remain healthy, while Wiggins, Oubre and Wiseman do enough collectively to make up for the loss of Thompson.

The core is a few years older and Green hasn't been the same player the past couple of years, but the fact that they know how to win together and have reached the top counts for something.

There will also be a great deal of intrigue surrounding how Wiggins fits in with the group. The 2014 No. 1 overall draft pick put up good numbers last season after Golden State acquired him from the Minnesota Timberwolves, but that was without Curry in the fold.

If Wiggins can knock down his shots and inject some youth and energy into the starting lineup, it will go a long way toward making the Warriors the dangerous team they once were.

Wiseman also figures to be a major key to Golden State's success since he gives head coach Steve Kerr something he has never really had in the form of a potentially dominant offensive force at center.

One positive that came from the lost season of 2019-20 is the fact that depth players such as Jordan Poole, Eric Paschall and Marquese Chriss played big roles for the first time in their careers.

That means they should be well-prepared to provide good minutes behind the core group of starters, which will strengthen Kerr's team as a whole.

The Warriors will be underdogs in their own division behind the likes of the Lakers and Clippers, but as long as they remain largely healthy, the Warriors have the offensive firepower and winning pedigree needed to return to the playoffs next season.

Record Prediction: 45-27

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