Breaking down Warriors schedule: Back-to-backs, easiest and hardest games, final record prediction in 2022-23

Jordan Greer

Breaking down Warriors schedule: Back-to-backs, easiest and hardest games, final record prediction in 2022-23 image

The Warriors ended their 2021-22 campaign with a championship celebration, but they certainly took a bumpy road to the Larry O'Brien Trophy.

Golden State came out of the gates strong, winning 41 of their first 54 games. In early February, the Warriors had the second-best record in the NBA, sitting behind only the Suns in the Western Conference standings. 

Then, they hit a rough stretch, losing 16 of their next 23 games. The Warriors struggled to find a winning formula as Stephen Curry and Draymond Green recovered from injuries, and Klay Thompson didn't look like himself after being stuck on the sidelines for 941 days.

They managed to recover, though, taking a five-game winning streak into the 2022 NBA Playoffs and going 16-6 in the postseason on their way to the title.

Can Golden State continue its impressive run of success?

Here's a breakdown of the Warriors' schedule for the 2022-23 season, including the easiest and toughest stretches and a final record prediction.

MORE: Ranking 10 best games on NBA calendar

Warriors schedule 2022-23: Easiest stretches

The Warriors should enjoy a comfortable start to the season. They will kick off the new campaign at the Chase Center with a matchup against the Lakers, then play three of their next four games at home.

Golden State also has a strong set of home games in late December and early January. The Warriors will play eight consecutive contests at the Chase Center from Christmas Day through Jan. 10.

Date Opponent Time (ET) TV Channel
Dec. 25 vs. Grizzlies 8 p.m. ABC
Dec. 27 vs. Hornets 10 p.m. NBA TV
Dec. 28 vs. Jazz 10 p.m.
Dec. 30 vs. Trail Blazers 10 p.m. NBA TV
Jan. 2 vs. Hawks 10 p.m.
Jan. 4 vs. Pistons 10 p.m.
Jan. 7 vs. Magic 8:30 p.m.
Jan. 10 vs. Suns 10 p.m. TNT

But the most important stretch may come in April. Before the start of the 2023 NBA Playoffs, Golden State will only play four games in nine days. Those rest days could be extremely helpful if veteran players are hoping to recover from injuries ahead of another deep postseason run.

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Warriors schedule 2022-23: Hardest stretches

Back-to-backs

The Warriors will have to play 14 total back-to-backs during the 2022-23 season. The roughest stretch comes in January when Golden State is scheduled to play two road back-to-backs in the same week.

Date Opponent Time (ET) TV Channel
Jan. 15 at Bulls 3:30 p.m.
Jan. 16 at Wizards 3 p.m.
Jan. 19 at Celtics 7:30 p.m. TNT
Jan. 20 at Cavaliers 7:30 p.m.

Longest road trip

Before they head home for Christmas, the Warriors will go on a six-game road trip, which starts in Milwaukee on TNT.

Date Opponent Time (ET) TV Channel
Dec. 13 at Bucks 7:30 p.m. TNT
Dec. 14 at Pacers 7 p.m.
Dec. 16 at 76ers 7:30 p.m. ESPN
Dec. 18 at Raptors 6 p.m.
Dec. 20 at Knicks 7:30 p.m. TNT
Dec. 21 at Nets 7:30 p.m. NBA TV

Warriors 2022-23 record prediction

During the 2022 offseason, Golden State lost important role players like Gary Payton II and Otto Porter Jr., but the team's front office also made some smart acquisitions. The Warriors added Donte DiVincenzo and JaMychal Green in free agency, replenishing their depth around Curry, Thompson and Green.

They also expect to see significant improvements from their rising prospects. Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody and James Wiseman could see major increases in minutes if they are able to take their games to the next level.

The Warriors' win total has been set at 52.5, according to FanDuel, an unsurprising number given the fact that they went 53-29 in 2021-22 and still have the core pieces of Steve Kerr's rotation in place. The bet here is that they finish with one of the best records in the West and go slightly over that total.

Prediction: 54-28

Jordan Greer

Jordan Greer Photo

Jordan Greer has been with The Sporting News since 2015. He previously worked for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. He is a graduate of Westminster College and Syracuse University.