Warriors second half schedule released

The 2020-21 NBA season has been unlike any other for a myriad reasons, nearly all of which ultimately have stemmed from the coronavirus pandemic. One of those many reasons is that the league released the schedule in two parts.

For a while, we only knew what the Warriors’ first half of the schedule was, up until their final game before the All-Star break, which takes place on March 4 at the Phoenix Suns.

But now we know the second half as well. On Wednesday, the Dubs released the schedule for the final 35 games of the year.

Let’s look at a few observations:

• The return to action is absolutely brutal for Golden State. After a week off for the All-Star break — with only Steph Curry participating in the festivities — the Dubs return on Thursday, March 11 to visit the Los Angeles Clippers. Then they head home to host the Utah Jazz and Los Angeles Lakers. Those are the three best teams in the NBA by record.
• It seems that Curry and the Warriors are still a draw. After having two months to look at viewership numbers, the league decided to nationally televise 18 of the Warriors second half games — that’s more than half.
• While the start of the second half schedule is difficult, the end looks a lot nicer. Their last 10 games feature three contests against the New Orleans Pelicans (currently 13-17), two against the Oklahoma City Thunder (12-19), and one each against the Memphis Grizzlies (13-14), Houston Rockets (11-18), and Minnesota Timberwolves (7-25). If they can tread water for a while, they can make a strong push at the end.
• Golden State’s longest road trip of the second half is a five-game set in mid-April, when they’ll visit the Oklahoma City Thunder, Cleveland Cavaliers, Boston Celtics, Philadelphia 76ers, and Washington Wizards.

Which games on the schedule jump out to you?