Golden State Warriors: Early Road Games Give Team Chance To Shine

Kyle Terada – USA Today Sports Images

After the Golden State Warriors knocked off the Denver Nuggets in the first round of the 2013 NBA Playoffs, the hype-train started gaining steam. After all, with a young core of players that will likely only improve in the coming years, this Warriors team playing like they did in that series had people wondering just how good they can be in the future.

With the Warriors adding Andre Iguodala this summer, this Warriors team now figures to be even more dangerous than people thought they would be after this past postseason. Iggy not only brings a strong veteran presence to this young team, but will also help improve this team on the defensive end of the floor.

Golden State won’t have to wait long to prove themselves as contenders this season. Much like the Nuggets team that they upset in the playoffs, the Warriors have a difficult and road-heavy schedule to start their 2013-2014 season.

14 of the Warriors’ first 22 games in this season will be on the road. As if that wasn’t a difficult enough task, the Warriors weren’t great on the road last season. While the Warriors were fantastic at one of the best home-courts in the NBA, ORACLE Arena, as they went 28-13 at home, they went just 19-22 away from home last season with their numbers on offense slipping slightly and being drastically worse on the defensive end.

If this Golden State team wants to prove that they have taken the next step with the addition of Iguodala, these first 22 games will give them the chance to do so. Contenders win big games on the road and don’t play as noticeably different as the Warriors did last season. If they can come out positively from that opening stretch, it will be a fantastic sign for this team.

Cody Williams is a Senior Writer with Rant Sports. Follow Cody on Twitter @TheSizzle20, add him on Google and like his Facebook page.