The Golden State Warriors will be looking for their fourth-straight win and sixth in the first seven games as they head to Washington to face the Wizards at Capital One Arena on Monday.
While De'Anthony Melton remains out with a back injury, the Warriors could be boosted by the return of superstar guard Stephen Curry who is questionable for Monday following a three-game absence.
The Warriors can't take the Wizards lightly
After beating the Houston Rockets in an overtime thriller on Saturday, Monday's game will be the second of a challenging five-game road-trip for Golden State. With the final three coming against arguably the three best teams in the entire league, ensuring a win over the rebuilding Wizards is even more imperative.
Yet Washington shouldn't be taken lightly, with their first five games providing some optimism of a positive direction and a raft of exciting young talent. Former Warrior guard is leading the way in that aspect, with the 25-year-old starting to deliver on what the Wizards were expecting when they traded for him last June.
After a rough first season in Washington, Poole is averaging career-highs in points (22.2) and assists (5.4) through the first five games, while he's also shooting 46.2% from the floor and a scorching 51.2% from beyond the arc on 8.6 attempts per game.
Even more surprising is the fact Poole is leading the league in steals at 2.8 per game, having also led his team to back-to-back wins over the Atlanta Hawks. The Wizards have lost their other three outings by at least 19 points, but there is enough young talent to be cautious of their capability.
Bilal Coulibaly has taken a massive leap so far in year two, with the Frenchman averaging 19.4 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.6 assists while shooting an incredible 60.7% from the floor and 47.6% from three-point range.
Alex Sarr and Bub Carrington are second and third in scoring among rookies in the league, while the former -- the second overall pick in this year's draft -- is also averaging an impressive 2.8 blocks per game which ranks fourth among all players.
The Warriors will enter Monday's game as favorites with or without Curry, but they can't afford to take the Wizards lightly. A surprise loss would undo a lot of their good work, and place greater pressure on trying to steal a win or two against the Celtics, Cavaliers and Thunder, all of which they'll likely go in as underdogs.