The Warriors’ upcoming road trip may be one of their most difficult tests of the Steve Kerr era.
Once again, the Golden State Warriors are the best team in basketball, sporting a 33-9 record. Although they just lost to their former rival, the Los Angeles Clippers, due to the absence of the Splash Brothers. Without their dynamic backcourt, it was another guard that stole the show.
That man was the unconscious Lou Williams. Williams, known for his hot shooting off the bench, started on Wednesday night and put on a scoring clinic. Williams scored a career-high 50 points on just 27 shots in less than 35 minutes. The Warriors had no answer for Williams, who carved up any defender that was in his way.
There was one bright spot for the Warriors, and that was the return of Kevin Durant. After missing the previous three games, Durant was unbelievable, scoring 40 points on just 18 shots, hitting six of seven shots from three-point range. Durant also reached a milestone, becoming the second-youngest player ever to eclipse 20,000 points for his career, only trailing LeBron James.
On paper, this was a bad loss for the Warriors, but what is more pressing in their minds is this daunting five-game road trip. On the upcoming road-trip, the Warriors may be tested like they have never been before during the Steve Kerr era.
The Warriors will face five of the hottest teams in the NBA, starting with the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday. On Saturday, they will face the Toronto Raptors, in probably the toughest back-to-back of the season. On Martin Luther King Day, they will face LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers. They catch a bit of a break with the Chicago Bulls next Wednesday, but the Bulls have been playing well lately. The trip finally culminates in Houston where the Rockets hope to have James Harden back.
It all starts on Friday with the Milwaukee Bucks and here is a little preview of what to watch for.