The Warriors lost three straight games entering the NBA All-Star break, and will begin the second half of the season in ninth place in the Western Conference.
Their first three games out the gate are brutal -- at the Los Angeles Clippers this Thursday and then a home back-to-back against the Utah Jazz and LA Lakers on Sunday and Monday.
But the schedule really lightens up after that.
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Even when you include those difficult matchups, the Warriors have the eighth easiest schedule in the second half, per Sportradar. And it's the fifth easiest slate among the 15 Western Conference teams, behind only the Jazz, Dallas Mavericks, Denver Nuggets and Kings.
Here's a pretty noteworthy takeaway to remember:
Even still, earning the No. 6 seed will be a huge challenge. So don't be surprised if the Warriors end up as the No. 7 or No. 8 seed, needing to win just one play-in game to secure a spot in the opening round of the playoffs.
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Golden State Warriors
Yours truly isn't ruling out a top-six seed. But the Warriors will need a lot of things to go their way in order for that to come to fruition.