Golden State Warriors: Difficulty of the Schedule by Month
By John Kim
January 16, 2013; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors power forward David Lee (10) dunks the ball against the Miami Heat during the first quarter at Oracle Arena. The Heat defeated the Warriors 92-75. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
The schedules for the 2013-14 NBA season were released, and the Golden State Warriors have an exciting season ahead of them. The Warriors have scheduled for 17 national television appearances – nine on ESPN and eight on TNT. In the span of one season, they have gone from being a cellar-dweller to one of the most exciting and highly anticipated teams in the league.
Here, we will rank the Warriors’ schedule by difficulty of months. October will not be included in the ranking because there only two games will be played that month.
6. April
The Warriors’ final month of the season is by far their easiest. They only play nine games (four home and five away) and have three back-to-backs.
Their toughest opponents during that stretch will be the Los Angeles Lakers at the Staples Center and the Minnesota Timberwolves at Oracle Arena. The easy end to their season is comical when compared to the stretches of difficult games the Warriors will have to battle through earlier in the season.
Feb 26 2013; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indiana Pacers center Roy Hibbert (55) stomps his feet while standing over Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) as a fight breaks out in the game at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
5. March
The Warriors play 14 games in March (nine at home and five away). During that stretch, they will visit the Indiana Pacers and Los Angeles Clippers on the road. Besides those two games, the Warriors will have a relatively easy time at home. The San Antonio Spurs will make a visit to Oracle Arena and will be the most difficult challenge of the month.
4. January
The Warriors will play 15 games in January (seven at home and eight away). They will play four of their 15 back-to-backs during that month, giving Golden State one of their busiest months.
By the end of the first week of January, the Warriors will have completed their season-high seven-game road trip, including games against the Miami Heat and Brooklyn Nets. Road games against Oklahoma City Thunder and New Orleans Pelicans will also provide a tough challenge.
3. December
The first half of the season is definitely the tougher than the second. The Warriors play 16 games in December (eight at home and eight away).
Golden State will play games against the Houston Rockets, Spurs, Memphis Grizzlies and both Los Angeles teams during the month. Playing a revitalized Rockets team at the Toyota Center for the first time this season will be a big challenge for the Warriors.
Mar 11, 2013; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors small forward Harrison Barnes (40) controls the ball against New York Knicks small forward Carmelo Anthony (7) during the third quarter at Oracle Arena. The Golden State Warriors defeated the New York Knicks 92-63. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
2. February
Despite the shortened month due to the All Star break, the Warriors have one of their toughest months in February. They will play 11 game (six at home and five away).
They will play road games against the Chicago Bulls and New York Knicks. The Bulls, Heat, Rockets and Nets will all make visits to Oakland. Any of those games would be a challenge, but in close succession they will prove to be even tougher to get through.
1. November
The toughest month for the Warriors will be their first of the season. They will be playing 15 games (six at home and nine away). They start their season playing five of their first seven games on the road.
Two games against the Thunder will be an early test for the Warriors. Games against the Spurs, Lakers, Grizzlies and the Dallas Mavericks will only make their early test one that can make or break their season.