Ranking five Warriors Christmas matchups we want to see
With the Warriors back at full strength, the NBA likely will schedule them on Christmas. Ali Thanawalla looks at five matchups we'd like to see.
With the 2020-21 NBA season tentatively scheduled to start on Dec. 22, the league preserved their marquee day, Christmas, on their schedule.
Typically, there are five games that day, giving fans something to watch as they spend the day with family.
The Warriors have been a Christmas mainstay for most of the last decade, and with a healthy roster, we expect the NBA to schedule them again this year.
In previous years, the Warriors' opponent was predictable, whether it was the Los Angeles Clippers, Cleveland Cavaliers or Houston Rockets. But this year, there's less certainty.
Here are the five matchups we would like to see.
Outside of Steph Curry, Luka Doncic might be the most exciting player in the NBA.
The 21-year-old Slovenian is trending towards winning multiple NBA MVPs.
A Doncic matchup against Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green would be must-see TV.
Warriors fans really want Giannis Antetokounmpo to join the squad. But that might not happen before the 2020-21 season begins in December.
So the next best thing would to face Giannis and the Bucks.
Both the Warriors ad Clippers will have something to prove this season, so the games between them should be high-intensity.
If everyone is healthy entering the season, Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green vs. Kawhi Leonard and Paul George is a spicy matchup that could be an NBA playoff preview.
Rarely does the NBA schedule the Warriors against a team from the East Coast on Christmas. But a matchup against Brooklyn would be incredible.
Kevin Durant won two NBA titles, and went to a third NBA Finals, with the Warriors, and then left for the Nets. He missed the entire 2019-20 season, so a Christmas Day showdown against his former team would be one of his first games in nearly 18 months.
Warriors might not want to watch KD ball out in a Nets jersey, but NBA fans would love to see the matchup.
This was supposed to be the Western Conference finals matchup this past season. But injuries derailed the Warriors' season and they never even made the playoffs.
While the Warriors were licking their wounds, LeBron James and Anthony Davis carried the Lakers to an NBA title.
Now, with a healthy and retooled roster, the Warriors should be a big threat to the Lakers in the West.
An early matchup would give everyone a chance to see how both teams stack up against each other.
We would prefer one of those five matchups, but we would settle for a few others.
A matchup against the Portland Trail Blazers could produce another epic Steph Curry-Damian Lillard show.
We wouldn't be upset if Zion Williamson and the New Orleans Pelicans came to town.
A lot of NBA experts saw a lot of the Warriors in the Miami Heat, who made a surprise run to the NBA Finals. Dub Nation would get to see Andre Iguodala if the two teams play each other.
The one matchup that would disappoint us is another game against the Houston Rockets. Been there, done that. Plus, we're tired of watching James Harden.
