The Golden State Warriors schedule for the 2017-18 season was unveiled on Monday afternoon.
Three games – October 17 vs. Houston, October 20 at New Orleans and December 25 vs. Cleveland – were announced last Thursday, but the Warriors and their fans now get the first look at the remaining 79 games on the slate. Home games in bold.
The Warriors will receive their championship rings prior to the October 17 season opener versus the Rockets. Golden State – along with the rest of the league – will get its first glimpse at the new-look back-court of James Harden and Chris Paul.
Other noteworthy games on the schedule include:
- November 8 vs Minnesota: The upgraded Timberwolves, now with Jimmy Butler, get their first crack at Golden State.
- November 16 at Boston: The Celtics landed Gordon Hayward in free agency and appear to be the biggest threat to Cleveland in the Eastern Conference.
- November 22 at Oklahoma City: Kevin Durant and the Dubs return to Oklahoma City, this time against Paul George alongside Russell Westbrook.
- November 29 at Los Angeles : The young Lakers – now with Lonzo Ball in the fold – go up against the defending champion Warriors for the first time.
- November 2 at San Antonio: A rematch of the 2017 Western Conference Finals.
- December 6 at Charlotte: Stephen Curry always puts on a show in his hometown.
- December 25 vs Cleveland: It’s an NBA Finals rematch on Christmas Day for the third straight season. Enough said.
The NBA regular season is undergoing some scheduling changes as part of the league’s new labor agreement with the NBA Players Association.
The Warriors’ upcoming season will begin on October 17 – earlier than the October 25 opener last season – to help create additional room to stretch out the schedule. Golden State will play in 14 back-to-backs, a drop from the 17 back-to-backs last season. The Warriors – along with the rest of the league – will not have any stretches of four games in five nights.
The league hopes these changes to the schedule will prevent teams from resting their top players on nationally televised games, which the Warriors will be in plenty of. Golden State will take part in 31 nationally televised games this season.
With the Warriors currently the heavy favorites to win their third title in four seasons, the team’s success will come down to its performance in the postseason. That being said, the regular season can’t be brushed aside, as success during the 82 game slate can create momentum heading into the playoffs.
The Warriors have recorded the best record in the league each of the past three regular seasons. Doing so for a fourth would guarantee that the road to the 2018 NBA Championship runs through Oracle Arena once again.