The Golden State Warriors (6-1) are off to a torrid start to the 2024-25 NBA season, but their road ahead is as tough as can be.
Warriors to face the teams with the 3-best records in the NBA
The Warriors will take on the three best teams in the league in their next three outings. They’ll first hit the road to take on the defending champion Boston Celtics (7-1) on Wednesday night before gearing up to battle the No. 1 overall seed in the league in the Cleveland Cavaliers (8-0) on Friday. Their daunting slate will conclude with a slugfest against the undefeated Oklahoma City Thunder (7-0) and their high-octane attack on both ends of the floor on Sunday.
Warriors will count on Buddy Hield & company’s strong play to keep them afloat
Golden State is currently being led by superb play from Buddy Hield and his 21.9 points per game, as well as a hoard of complementary efforts including from Draymond Green, Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody, and Trayce Jackson-Davis. Their two most potent scorers — Stephen Curry and Andrew Wiggins — have both missed time and endured up-and-down showings through the early portion of the year. That comes as a double-edged sword for the Warriors, who could’ve used more from both stars up until now, but can only improve exponentially once they get going.
Celtics present unique challenges for Warriors on the glass & on defense
They’ll need their entire team in a groove against a Celtics team that is limiting opponents to the fifth-fewest rebounds per game (42.1 RPG) and sending teams to the free-throw line fewer than every team in the league save the New York Knick at 18.5 FTA. Boston’s three-point defense is stout, as they hold foes to 32.9 percent shooting from outside on the campaign.
The Warriors make their bones from distance and will need to come ready against a stout Celtics defensive front on Wednesday night. The Dubs will also need to play exceptional defense against a Celtics team fueled by All-Stars Jayson Tatum (30 PPG) and Jaylen Brown (25.7 PPG), as well as Derrick White (19 PPG) and Payton Pritchard (16 PPG).
The Cavaliers’ stars have fueled them to protect their home court with verve thus far
Looking ahead to their matchup against Cleveland, the Warriors are set to take on a Cavaliers team that has five players scoring in double figures thus far. They have three starters in Darius Garland, Jarrett Allen, and Evan Mobley shooting at least 52.5 percent from the field, and a fourth in Donovan Mitchell connecting on 48.3 percent of his looks to the tune of a team-high 23.1 PPG.
The Cavs have been dominant at home. Cleveland has won three of their four contests at the arena by 11 points or greater, and another distinct three of their four wins have come against teams figuring to be in the championship mix this season in the Los Angeles Lakers, Orlando Magic, and Milwaukee Bucks. The Warriors will need to bring their A-game on Friday to keep up their winning ways.
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Warriors will face their biggest challenge against the Thunder’s top-shelf offense & defense
The Thunder will push the Warriors to the proverbial brink at the end of their road trip. Everywhere one looks, Oklahoma City is dominating the field. They’ve looked like the league’s best offense and defense so far. OKC is outscoring their competition with the highest point differential in the league (17.4 PPG), and on the other end, are pick-pocketing 4.5 more steals and sending back 2.2 more blocked shots a night over their opponents, both of which are also NBA-best margins.
The Dubs will have to worry about containing Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (25.7 PPG), Jalen Williams (18.3 PPG), and Chet Holmgren (17.1 PPG) offensively, while finding ways to score over Holmgren in the interior amid his 3.1 BPG that ranks No. 2 overall in the Association.
The Warriors are hoping they’ll come out alive, and well at that after this three-game set. Finishing above .500 will ensure that they stay near the top of the Western Conference standings. As much as their opponents are to be feared, so are they, which may set the stage for matchups with playoff-level intensity that’ll test their strength early.
