We know that the Warriors will start the 2nd half of the season with a 5 game in 7 night road trip in the Eastern Conference. But what comes after the road trip? I took a look at the Warriors schedule to see what comes after the road trip in mid-March. I saw a back-to-back... and another back-to-back... and then another back-to-back... and then another! That's way more back-to-backs then we've seen in the 1st half.
So I made a table of the Warriors 1st half and 2nd half schedules, and I highlighted all the back-to-back games. And the result weren't pretty. In fact, the 2nd half is going to suck for the Warriors compared to the 1st half. Make the jump to see the schedules.
Warriors schedule, first half of the season
Yellow = Played the night before, fatigue is a factor.
Brown = Played the night before, AND had to travel, so even more likely to be fatigued.
| Day | Date | Opponent |
|---|---|---|
| Sun | Dec 25 | Clippers |
| Mon | Dec 26 | Bulls |
| Wed | Dec 28 | Knicks |
| Sat | Dec 31 | 76ers |
| Mon | Jan 02 | @Suns |
| Wed | Jan 04 | @Spurs |
| Fri | Jan 06 | @Lakers |
| Sat | Jan 07 | Jazz |
| Tue | Jan 10 | Heat |
| Thu | Jan 12 | Magic |
| Sat | Jan 14 | @Bobcats |
| Sun | Jan 15 | @Pistons |
| Tue | Jan 17 | @Cavaliers |
| Wed | Jan 18 | @Nets |
| Fri | Jan 20 | Pacers |
| Mon | Jan 23 | Grizzlies |
| Wed | Jan 25 | Trail Blazers |
| Fri | Jan 27 | Thunder |
| Tue | Jan 31 | Kings |
| Thu | Feb 02 | Jazz |
| Sat | Feb 04 | @Kings |
| Tue | Feb 07 | Thunder |
| Thu | Feb 09 | @Nuggets |
| Sun | Feb 12 | Rockets |
| Mon | Feb 13 | Suns |
| Wed | Feb 15 | Trail Blazers |
| Fri | Feb 17 | @Thunder |
| Sat | Feb 18 | @Grizzlies |
| Mon | Feb 20 | Clippers |
| Wed | Feb 22 | @Suns |
Warriors schedule, second half of the season
Yellow = Played the night before, fatigue is a factor.
Brown = Played the night before, AND had to travel, so even more likely to be fatigued.
| Day | Date | Opponent |
|---|---|---|
| Tue | Feb 28 | @Pacers |
| Wed | Feb 29 | @Hawks |
| Fri | Mar 02 | @76ers |
| Sun | Mar 04 | @Raptors |
| Mon | Mar 05 | @Wizards |
| Wed | Mar 07 | Grizzlies |
| Sat | Mar 10 | Mavericks |
| Sun | Mar 11 | @Clippers |
| Tue | Mar 13 | @Kings |
| Wed | Mar 14 | Celtics |
| Fri | Mar 16 | Bucks |
| Sat | Mar 17 | @Jazz |
| Mon | Mar 19 | Timberwolves |
| Wed | Mar 21 | @Hornets |
| Thu | Mar 22 | @Rockets |
| Sat | Mar 24 | Kings |
| Sun | Mar 25 | @Trail Blazers |
| Tue | Mar 27 | Lakers |
| Wed | Mar 28 | Hornets |
| Fri | Mar 30 | Nets |
| Sun | Apr 01 | @Lakers |
| Tue | Apr 03 | @Grizzlies |
| Wed | Apr 04 | @Timberwolves |
| Fri | Apr 06 | @Jazz |
| Sat | Apr 07 | Nuggets |
| Mon | Apr 09 | @Nuggets |
| Wed | Apr 11 | @Trail Blazers |
| Thu | Apr 12 | Mavericks |
| Sat | Apr 14 | @Clippers |
| Mon | Apr 16 | Spurs |
| Wed | Apr 18 | Lakers |
| Fri | Apr 20 | @Mavericks |
| Sat | Apr 21 | @Rockets |
| Sun | Apr 22 | @Timberwolves |
| Tue | Apr 24 | Hornets |
| Thu | Apr 26 | Spurs |
Analysis: You don't even need to count. You can visually see from all the highlighted rows that the Warriors are going to get pounded with a lot more travel and a lot more games next month. But if you do want to count, here's what we have coming: 5 games in 7 nights road trip, 6 games in 8 nights, then another 6 games in 8 nights. Then in April, we have a 4 games in 5 nights (or 7 games in 10 nights if you want to include the next back-to-back) and the back-to-back-to-back. Ugh. That's the price we pay for all those days off and home games in late-January and February.
Playoffs: Yes, we've been playing better in recent games. Yes, we've been close and "right there" in most of them. But we've also had the benefit of a lot of home games and a lot of rest. All those close games will be that much harder to win when the Warriors have to battle their own fatigue along with the opposing defenses. Playoffs? Playoffs?!?!?!? Yeah, right.
Tank!: If there was ever a reason (or excuse) for Jerry West/Larry Riley/Joe Lacob/front office to want to tank and keep this draft pick without looking like we're tanking, this is it. They can say that they're playing the young players more minutes in order to "give the vets a rest". Just make sure to give the young players vets lots of minutes rest, because we want to compete for that higher draft pick 8th playoff spot. *Cough cough*