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Golden State Warriors: Christmas Day could be rough

By Tony Pesta

CLEVELAND, OH - DECEMBER 25: Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors reacts after a play during the first half against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Quicken Loans Arena on December 25, 2016 in Cleveland, Ohio. 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. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
CLEVELAND, OH - DECEMBER 25: Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors reacts after a play during the first half against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Quicken Loans Arena on December 25, 2016 in Cleveland, Ohio. 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. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) /
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The Golden State Warriors are set for a Christmas Day matchup with the reigning two-time MVP, and things might get rough.

Christmas Day in the NBA is a special time. Fans everywhere will sit down to watch games all day – but for the Golden State Warriors, this event could go south in a hurry.

The Dubs didn’t exactly get lucky with their opening week schedule. After being outplayed by the star-studded Brooklyn Nets, the Dubs now have to face the powerhouse Milwaukee Bucks and Giannis Antetokounmpo.

While we are hopeful the Dubs will look more competitive on Christmas day, there is plenty of reason for concern following up their lackluster effort in Brooklyn. The Warriors have more than a few problems to address and they will be tested to the extreme against Milwaukee.

To make matters worse, Draymond Green will miss consecutive games with a foot injury. Steve Kerr is hopeful Green will return by Sunday or Tuesday – but his absence will be felt on Christmas Day regardless.

Green plays a huge role in dictating the Warriors’ play on both ends of the floor. Without him, the team looks lost. The sooner Green returns, the sooner we will know how high the Dubs’ ceiling is this year.

We knew the Warriors would struggle early on in the season. It’s no surprise the team that missed nine months of play is having a hard time battling some of the top talents in the league. We shouldn’t overreact to any outcome we see on Christmas day – but we should watch for a few things.

Firstly, how will Andrew Wiggins perform? It’s unlikely he does any worse than he did in game one, so hopefully, we see some improvement from Wiggins on Christmas. Then, what about James Wiseman? The rookie had a decent debut but will have his hands full trying to protect the paint against Giannis.

It’s entirely possible the Warriors get blown out in back-to-back games on Christmas. Either way, I wouldn’t put too much stock into the result of this game. The Warriors have a long season ahead of them and this is only the beginning.

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