Dec. 28, 2010STEINMETZ ARCHIVEWARRIORS PAGEWARRIORS VIDEOMatt SteinmetzCSNBayArea.com
The Warriors have won three in a row and are playing better. There are whispers of turning a corner and theyre approaching full health for the first time this season.Theres some upbeat-ness around the team, no doubt.But the road awaits, and we all know what that means: Trouble brewing. The Warriors are 4-12 away from Oracle this season, with the wins coming against Sacramento, Minnesota, New York and Toronto.This ones is going to be tougher than most. Lets take a lookWednesday, at Atlanta: The Hawks have been just so-so since their 6-0 start, but theyre still awfully good at home, and are currently working on an eight-game winning streak at Philips Arena. Atlanta has the kind of big and talented frontline (Al Horford, Josh Smith) that often gives the Warriors problems.Friday, at Charlotte: On the surface, this is the most winnable game on the trip, but keep in mind the Stephen Silas factor. Silas, who had been an assistant for five seasons with the Warriors, recently joined his father, Paul, on the bench in Charlotte. If anyone knows the Warriors, Silas Jr. does. Who knows? Silas Jr. might have some Monta-Stopper in him.Saturday, at Miami: The Heat has won 14 of its past 15 games, and are the best defensive team in the NBA when it comes to points against. On Dec. 10, Miami shut down the Warriors at Oracle in the second half of a 20-plus point win, holding them to just 39 points. It doesnt look like Miami is messing around anymore.Monday, at Orlando: The Magic is coming off consecutive 59-win seasons, and still that wasnt good enough for GM Otis Smith. He rolled the dice by trading for Gilbert Arenas, Jason Richardson and Hedo Turkoglu. The Magic is a very good team, has a sense of urgency, and the Warriors are on a back-to-back. Not good at all.Wednesday, Jan. 5, at New Orleans: After an 11-1 start, the Hornets are 18-13 at this point. New Orleans is no lock to make the playoffs, but its nice start has put them in a nice position. Any game on Chris Pauls home floor is going to be a difficult one for the Warriors.
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