The Golden State Warriors are on a two-game skid after losing a pair of incredibly winnable games against depleted opponents. However, some analysts aren't panicking about the veteran team too much even if the losses did provide some cause for concern.
Law Murray of The Athletic released latest power rankings and had the Warriors dropping one spot down from fourth to fifth place overall, but they still remain in Tier 1 which is described as "Top Contenders."
Murray clearly feels there is not too much to worry about with the Warriors even though those losses were troubling, especially after the team's defense looked so strong against the Los Angeles Clippers.
Similarly, John Schuhmann of NBA.com released power rankings and the Warriors fell a little further down to sixth overall after being fourth the previous week. Schuhmann noted Golden State's upcoming schedule is not pretty.
"Their losses in Milwaukee and Indiana began a stretch where the Warriors are playing 10 of 12 games on the road, and their biggest game in that stretch could be their visit to Denver (their NBA Emirates Cup opener) on Friday," Schuhmann wrote.
The Warriors do not want to be playing sloppy basketball entering a tough stretch, but neither of these rankings suggest that it is time to push the panic button in San Francisco just yet.
No doubt these losses could prove costly later in the season as the Warriors are trying to put themselves in the best position possible in a crowded Western Conference. The last few seasons have shown how huge just a couple of games can be in determining the difference between being a Play-In team, or being able to make it into the playoffs and guaranteeing yourself at least one seven-game series.
Still, it is important to remember that it is still very early in the season and that the things that seemed true about this team prior to their two losses still remains the case.
The Warriors have an experienced veteran core that they will be able to lean on throughout the year but they are also getting great contributions from younger players on the team. That formula will be key to the team's success as head coach Steve Kerr tries to balance playing time for some of his veterans.
If the Warriors drop some more sloppy games over this upcoming road-heavy stretch, then it may be time to wonder whether the team is a real contender. But for now patience is key and the hope is the team can bounce back from these tough losses right away.