The Golden State Warriors have received the unwanted honor of leading the NBA in back-to-backs next season, with the full schedule for 2023-24 having been released on Thursday.
Coming off a league-leading 15 back-to-backs in 2022-23, the Warriors will have 15 again starting with their third and fourth game of the season on the road against the Houston Rockets (29th October) and New Orleans Pelicans (30th October).
The Golden State Warriors’ veteran core could be impacted by a rough schedule of 15 back-to-backs next season.
The Warriors have three back-to-backs in the opening 11 games, two of which include their lone home and road fixture against the Cleveland Cavaliers. It’s in large contrast to the following 20 games where Golden State will only have two back-to-back across the nearly two-month period.
The franchise’s back-to-backs are otherwise reasonably spread out over the remaining months of the regular season, culminating with the 80th and 81st game of the season where they face the Portland Trail Blazers (11th April) and New Orleans Pelicans (12th April).
The Warriors had a 7-8 record on the second night of back-to-backs last season, but they lost five of their first seven which included 30 and 45-point losses to the Brooklyn Nets and New Orleans Pelicans. That span also saw shock losses to the Detroit Pistons and Indiana Pacers as Golden State stumbled to begin the season.
Part of the issues stemmed from their availability issues, starting with veteran shooting-guard Klay Thompson. After two devastating leg injuries, the five-time All-Star wasn’t cleared for back-to-backs until late last season.
However, while they should have greater access to Thompson, the Warriors may still find more issues with their availabilities on back-to-backs. Trading Jordan Poole — a 23-year-old who played all 82 games last season — for a 38-year-old Chris Paul is sure to have an impact.
Golden State will have to find a balance in their competing interests in 2023-24. While the regular season will be important in re-establishing their championship identity, managing the likes of Thompson, Paul, Stephen Curry and Draymond Green will be key in ensuring they’re primed for a deep playoff run.