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The Warriors may actually want to drop to the No. 2 seed in the West

By Nathan Beighle

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - MARCH 19: Stephen Curry #30 and Kevin Durant #35 of the Golden State Warriors look on during the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on March 19, 2019 at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. 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. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - MARCH 19: Stephen Curry #30 and Kevin Durant #35 of the Golden State Warriors look on during the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on March 19, 2019 at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. 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. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images) /
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The Golden State Warriors are tied for first in the Western Conference, and as it plays out, they may actually want to drop to the two seed.

There aren’t many situations in which the Golden State Warriors should actually want the No. 2 seed, but in the current state of the Western Conference, it’d be smart for them to drop.

However, they’d be giving up guaranteed homecourt advantage throughout the entire Western Conference playoffs if they did. At the same time, the perk of dropping to the two seed is that they’d eliminate any chance of playing the Houston Rockets in the second round.

The route in which the Warriors take is what’s important when considering seeding. Given how dominant the Warriors are, it’s not the end of the world if they secure the top seed, but it certainly seems ideal if they don’t.

The path they’ll likely take to the finals if they’re the top seed would be through OKC, Houston then possibly the Nuggets. That’s the most difficult three series that the Warriors could manage in the West.

However, if it changes and Houston ends in the fourth seed and Golden State as the second seed, the Warriors would take on San Antonio, then Portland then either Houston or Denver. That’s the ideal route for the Warriors.

On April 2, the Warriors play the game that could determine the seeding of the top two seeds in the West. The Nuggets will travel to Oracle and take on Golden State, one of the few teams they’ve struggled against this season.

Aside from that game, the Warriors will take on teams like Memphis, Cleveland, New Orleans and a LeBron-less Los Angeles Lakers. The Nuggets have a much more difficult schedule which includes just two games against teams with sub-.500 records.

The Warriors will likely end the season as the top seed in the West. However, what’s nice for them is that the Rockets will also likely end the season as a top-three seed.

Next. Warriors: Making an All-NBA case for Klay Thompson. dark

All the Warriors need to do is avoid the Rockets in the second round. They are the most threating opponent in the Western Conference for Golden State, and the Dubs need to save their energy for just one extended series.

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