Golden State Warriors: 5 reasons the second half of the season matters

5 reasons the second half of the season matters for Golden State

WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 24: Kevin Durant #25 and DeMarcus Cousins #0 of the Golden State Warriors look on during the game against the Washington Wizards on January 24, 2019 at Capital One Arena in Washington, DC. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. GarrabrantNBAE via Getty Images) /

2 of 6

(Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images) /

The first seed

The Warriors were almost burnt by not being the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference last season. It was Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals, and it could’ve been over for their back-to-back quest if Trevor Ariza and James Harden just found their rhythm.

The Rockets gave away Game 7 after being up 3-2 in the WCF. The Warriors didn’t play well either, but it was the Rockets that lost those games. Golden State shouldn’t want to be in the same scenario this season.

While the Rockets won’t be the threat this season, the OKC Thunder and Denver Nuggets will be. The Nuggets are currently two games out of first place in the West while the Thunder are four games out of first place.

OKC has been dominating as of late. With George scoring over 30 points per game throughout 2019 and Russell Westbrook averaging a triple-double for the second season in his career, the Thunder will not be a team to mess with and will make a run down the stretch.

The one seed will be a huge reason why the Warriors need to keep their foot on the pedal after a thrilling All-Star Weekend.

Home/Warriors News