The Warriors are in a battle to secure a playoff spot in the crowded Western Conference. The Denver Nuggets, Memphis Grizzlies and Sacramento Kings have already clinched top-six seeds. The Warriors, Los Angeles Clippers, LA Lakers and New Orleans Pelicans are vying for the final two playoff spots in the West. The top six teams in each conference earn a playoff berth, and the seventh through 10th place teams compete in a play-in tournament to determine the final two playoff spots.
The Warriors began the season by showing flashes of brilliance, but a stream of injuries held them back. Andre Iguodala missed most of November and December with a hamstring injury, and the team struggled both offensively and defensively without him. However, the Warriors rebounded after the All-Star break and began to look like a championship contender again.
Despite a rough patch over the last week, the Dubs remain in the playoff hunt with four games left on their Golden State Warriors Schedule. It is possible that the Warriors can improve their playoff positioning, avoid a play-in game or miss out on one altogether — but a lot will depend on how the next three weeks unfold.
How Impact Does the Warriors Schedule Have on Their Playoff Aspirations?
Golden State’s remaining schedule is loaded with games against teams that are in the thick of the playoff logjam in the West. The Warriors will play a total of seven home-home matchups, and all but one of those will be against an opponent that has at least one more loss than the Warriors do. This will include a home game against the Timberwolves on Sunday night, a home game against the Pelicans on Tuesday and an April 4 game against the Thunder.
In addition to playing a ton of home games, the Warriors have to travel in the next month and play three road-home-road scenarios. This includes an upcoming trip to Phoenix, where the Warriors will face the Suns, and a road-home-road series against the Utah Jazz, which also features a visit from former Warrior Kevon Looney.
With the exception of the trip to the Phoenix Suns, the Warriors’ remaining road games are against teams in the top-10 of the Western Conference standings. In that regard, the Warriors’ road-home-road splits aren’t terribly bad.
The Warriors have a decent chance to finish sixth in the Western Conference and avoid the play-in round. At the moment, the Dubs have a 40-38 record and are tied with the Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers and New Orleans Pelicans for the sixth seed in the West with 41 wins each. However, the Dubs don’t hold any tiebreakers against any of those teams and could slip to seventh or eighth by the time the final regular-season standings are released.