The Warriors are set to embark on the sort of late-season trip east that should define a team’s season.
A stumble for a team hovering around .500 usually means an uphill battle for a playoff berth, and a string of wins would mean climbing in the standings.
The first part of that does not quite apply to these Warriors.
Even with injuries to stars Steph Curry (runner’s knee) and Jimmy Butler (out for the season with a torn ACL), the Warriors find themselves in the oddest of situations as the ninth seed.
The teams below Golden State are tanking, the Grizzlies and Mavericks, sold at the deadline and are obviously only concerned with securing a high draft pick.
So an extended string of losses will likely not spell doom to postseason ambitions.
But the Warriors, injured as they are, can still put themselves in position to avoid the dreaded No. 9 vs. No. 10 seed play-in matchup that sends the loser home for the offseason.
If the Warriors can claw back to the No. 7 or No. 8 slot, then even a loss in the first play-in game will see them get another crack at a seven-game series. And with Curry beginning to ramp up his on-court work, Golden State could have its best player back in the fold for the playoffs.
“We know if we play the right way we can beat any team,” Gary Payton II said after Tuesday’s overtime loss to the Bulls. “Just finish out the season strong, like I said late second half, clean up some of the mental things, and I think we’ll put ourselves in a great position to close games.”
The journey begins in basketball’s most hallowed venue. The Warriors will face the third-seeded Knicks and then take a short trek down to Washington, D.C. to face a defense the next night that just gave up 83 points to Bam Adebayo.
From there, the Warriors go back north and face the Celtics in a rematch of the 2022 Finals. Though Curry will not play – he is still dealing with runner’s knee – Boston’s dynamic duo is back.
Jayson Tatum defied reasonable expectations to return from a torn Achilles in under a year and have vaulted the Celtics from fun underdog story to bonafide title contenders.
The road gets even rougher when the Warriors play at the Pistons, the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference. But the hype for that game – Michigan native Draymond Green’s homecoming – pales in comparison to their next two opponents.
The Warriors are set to face Jonathan Kuminga for the first time since sending him to Atlanta at the trade deadline.
The former No. 7 overall pick in the 2021 draft and subject of endless drama has dealt with a nagging knee injury since arriving in the Southeast, but has put up gaudy stats when healthy enough to play.
The trip ends in Dallas, where the Warriors will enjoy a reunion with former Splash Brother Klay Thompson for the final time this season.
At the end of that trip, Steph Curry’s return could be looming. He will be re-evaluated on March 21, the day of the game with the Hawks, and the team’s first home game is March 25 against the Nets.
If the Warriors are able to gather a few victories on this tough trip and remain within striking distance of the Clippers and Suns for the No. 8 seed, they would be bringing in the game’s most lethal shooter back at the most crucial time.
But even if the Warriors continue to lose – they lost three in a row going into Friday’s matchup with the Wolves – then an unsuccessful trip could take on a different meaning, increasing the likelihood of ending the season on the road in the play-in tournament.