The Golden State Warriors have won six straight games and look like a competent, one might even dare to say good, basketball team. It’s still early in the season and there is plenty of time for things to go south, but at this moment in time it's more than warranted to celebrate when there was not much reason for such optimism entering the season, while the initial 0-3 start obviously didn't help matters.
Still, while celebration is more than fair, so is an abundance of caution because there are some early warning signs with this Warriors team which could make this winning streak feel like something of a mirage later ion.
While the beginning of the 2025-26 season feels like ages ago, the Warriors got off to a hot start last year as well. They were 4-1 through five games and looked like they were picking up right where they had left off from the previous season, but issues did start to pop up not long after that.
Even before all of the injuries set in, it was clear that something wasn’t quite right with last year's team. There may be a fear therefore that some of those issues could start to pop up again with this team.
Warriors need to address certain issues to sustain their success
One issue to keep an eye on is blown leads. The Warriors lost their second game of this season to the Memphis Grizzlies when they really should have been able to close the door, only to blow a 12-point lead in the final four minutes.
Golden State clearly haven't blown a lead in their last six games, but some of them got a little too close for comfort, making it something to keep an eye on going forward. To their credit, they shut the door firmly on Thursday night against the Miami Heat which suggested they may be getting better in that regard.
Another thing to be wary of is the slow starts Golden State have gotten off to. They’ve come out of the gates sluggish several times even amidst this win streak. That can be looked at as a positive since it shows the team is resilient and capable of overcoming adversity, but it could also be viewed as an unsustainable model for success.
Obviously, the biggest threat to derail the season is health. They’ve been pretty fortunate thus far as Stephen Curry has remained fairly healthy, and so too Draymond Green. They’ve done a good job managing their loads up to this point and that’s going to have to continue throughout the season.
No one wants to be a “Debbie Downer” amidst a hot streak, and the fact the Warriors are even on a streak like this may be evidence that this season will not be like last, but it’s important to remain aware of some of the warning signs for the team going forward.
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