Warriors arrive to new season with major opportunity on the horizon

The Golden State Warriors will begin a new campaign on Wednesday night when they face the Portland Trail Blazers in their season opener at Moda Center.

Coming off an unbeaten 6-0 preseason that included a last start 58-point thrashing of the Los Angeles Lakers, and with not one single player listed on the injury report, the Warriors are in prime position to begin the season full of force.

The Warriors can't afford to miss their early season opportunity

Not only do they have to tick off a first up victory against a Trail Blazers team many predict to be at the bottom of the Western Conference, but Golden State also can't afford to miss a prized opportunity that awaits them over the first week or so of the season.

The Warriors can make an early statement by jumping out to a strong early record. Following Wednesday's game against the Trail Blazers, they'll head to Utah to face a Jazz team many expect to battle Portland for last spot in the West.

Perhaps there'll be some extra motivation for that game too. Golden State and Utah had offseason discussions surrounding Lauri Markkanen, but "Danny Ainge was being Danny Ainge" according to Warrior forward Draymond Green in a recent statement to Anthony Slater of The Athletic.

The Warriors then return for their home opener against the L.A. Clippers -- a game that now appears far less daunting given the absence of Kawhi Leonard, not to mention the offseason departure of another All-Star forward in Paul George. Golden State then has their first back-to-back of the season, hosting the New Orleans Pelicans on October 29 and 30 at Chase Center.

There's a legitimate chance that the Warriors will enter each of their first five games as favorites. They need to be winning at least four if not all five, particularly given they then start a five-game road-trip that closes in Boston, Cleveland and Oklahoma City.

It's easy to forget that Golden State were 27-12 over the final 39 games of last season -- a period in which they ranked fourth in the league in net rating. The team may be a little different with the departures of Klay Thompson and Chris Paul, and the additions of De'Anthony Melton, Kyle Anderson and Buddy Hield, but the preseason form would suggest the Warriors can roll the momentum from last season into the new one.

They can't waste this early opportunity. Getting off to a good start cannot be understated -- you just have to look at the 2022 championship season, in which they started 18-2, to get an appreciation of that.