Golden State Warriors' schedule opens up possibilities post All-Star break

Despite a pair of fourth-quarter collapses prior to the All-Star break, the Golden State Warriors have found plenty of momentum in recent weeks with an 8-2 record over the last 10 games.

Head coach Steve Kerr has found effective combinations, largely centered around a core four of Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, Jonathan Kuminga and Andrew Wiggins. Once sitting 12th in the Western Conference, the Warriors are now circulating within the Play-In Tournament and are posing as a genuine threat should they continue their momentum and earn a playoff spot.

The Golden State Warriors hopes of securing a playoff spot should be aided by a favorable schedule over the second-half of the season

Golden State's recent form has actually come amid a fairly challenging schedule. Their last 10 games had come in a 17-day span in seven different cities, including two seperate trips to Utah and three different back-to-backs.

In one way the All-Star break came at a bad time given the Warriors had built into their best stretch of the season. But in another it came at a good time, with last week's fadeouts against the Clippers and Jazz suggestive of some fatigue.

Still just one game over .500 with a 27-26 record, Golden State have plenty of work to do starting against the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday. They remain five games behind the sixth-seed New Orleans Pelicans, meaning a guaranteed playoff spot is highly unlikely but not insurmountable.

Fortunately for the Warriors, their task should be a little easier by a more favorable schedule after the break. According to Tankathon, Golden State has the sixth-easiest remaining schedule in the league, with their upcoming opponents currently holding a .471 win percentage on the season.

The Warriors' schedule includes three meetings with the San Antonio Spurs who currently sit last in the West with an 11-44 record. They're also yet to face the lowly Charlotte Hornets, with two matchups to come against a team plagued with injuries and whom hold a 13-41 record. Golden State will also see Jordan Poole and the 9-45 Wizards again in Washington.

The Warriors had 11 back-to-backs prior to the All-Star break, tied for the most alongside the Orlando Magic. They'll have a further six over the remainder of the season, though that includes one straight after the break when they host the Hornets the night following the Lakers.

With a reasonable schedule and a fairly healthy injury report outside veteran point-guard Chris Paul, there's really no excuse for Golden State not to continue to move up the standings to try and make some noise come the postseason.