The Golden State Warriors have plenty of things to blame for their 10-10 record to start the season. One factor that has been out of the team’s control has been the NBA schedule. None of the other 29 teams have played more games or had more back-to-backs than the Dubs so far this season. While the Warriors have dodged any massive long-term injuries, the wear and tear has taken several key players out of the lineup. Thanks to being eliminated from the NBA Cup, Golden State is about to get a break.
The league finalized schedules on Saturday, filling in the early December gap left in every squad’s schedule for the NBA Cup. The Warriors will now host the Minnesota Timberwolves on December 12th and go to Portland two days later to play the Trail Blazers on the 14th. Most valuable for Golden State, they will have have four days off prior to facing the Wolves and three days off after facing the Blazers. In other words, they will have just two games over the 10-day span from December 8-17.
The scheduling gap could be an added blessing if Steph Curry’s injury timetable ends up lasting longer than expected. While the Warriors hope Curry will only need a week or so to return to action, they only have seven games over a three-week span. If the Dubs had to deal with missing Curry for an injury, this gap in the schedule is close to as good as it can get during the regular season. Let’s see if the Warriors can stay afloat in his absence and capitalize on the upcoming rest.