The Warriors were dealt a difficult hand to start this 2025-26 season. With three back-to-backs within the first 15 days, the team has faced an uphill battle coming out of the gates.
The Dubs secured a few big wins against conference rivals, including the Lakers, Clippers, and Nuggets; however, the team has struggled recently.
Taking its Toll
The grueling start to the schedule has taken its toll on the Warriors. The team has looked off—both mentally and physically.
Less than a month into the season, key veterans are already experiencing significant fatigue. At this point in the season, teams are supposed to be at their healthiest. But the brutal schedule to start the year had other plans.
Jimmy Butler played Golden State’s game against the Suns on Nov. 4 after initially being listed as questionable with back soreness leading up to the contest. He started the game but checked out in the first half and did not return. They were able to hang onto their early lead to secure a win, but it was a concerning sign so early into the season.
Despite Butler, Stephen Curry, and Draymond Green all playing against the Giannis-less Bucks and severely depleted Pacers at the turn of the month, they still lost both games. The defeats set off alarm bells for Warriors fans who expected easy victories.
Steve Kerr chalked up a few of Curry’s sloppy plays to fatigue. He was -21 and had five turnovers in their loss to the Pacers. Curry referred to his struggles as a “look in the mirror” type of performance.
Despite possible excuses for their lack of sharpness, Kerr believes his team still should have won both games.
Rough Patch
The Warriors will face plenty of challenging opponents down the line, which makes those two defeats a tough pill to swallow. Those were the gimmies. They should have won those.
On top of Butler’s back injury, Curry has also been dealing with a brutal cold that worsened after the game against Phoenix. He coughed his way through his postgame press conference after beating the Suns, acknowledging that his “gas tank was on E.”
Coach Kerr then announced he would sit Curry the following night against the Kings—the Warriors’ third set of back-to-backs. Preemptively listing him out shows the team is taking a cautionary approach with their star.
Positive Signs
As much as it hurts to have the team’s two stars compromised, their absences could prove to be beneficial. The youngsters get more runway to shine and show they can steal a game or two without the team’s best players. Inevitably, the stars will miss more games as the season wears on, so these opportunities for the supporting cast could pay dividends down the line.
One additional benefit of facing the tiresome part of the schedule now is that it will lighten later this season. Once their NBA Cup games begin on Nov. 21, the Warriors will only have two back-to-backs for the next two months.
This change is a stark contrast to their current grind of having one back-to-back each week for the first month of the season.
Reinforcements should be coming too. Seth Curry and De’Anthony Melton are expected to join the team soon.
The Warriors are playing it safe with their stars. They have already dropped a few easy games, which means they will need to make up ground later. But their wins against championship contenders at the beginning of the season indicate the Warriors remain a legitimate threat.
The team will need to continue improving in the coming months. They will also need a little luck. But if the Warriors can weather the early-season storm, brighter days should be ahead.
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