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The Golden State Warriors went on a scorching run to begin the 2021-22 campaign, and they sat at 41-13 just shy of two months ago. The Warriors challenged the league-best Phoenix Suns for a while, and even after that, it seemed as if they would cruise to the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference.
However, Golden State has slumped since then, going just 7-16 over the last 23 games to sit at 48-29 on the season. When Klay Thompson returned from his two-year absence, Draymond Green and Stephen Curry incurred injuries of their own, limiting the time of the Warriors' Big Three together to basically nothing. Additionally, James Wiseman (out all season), Andre Iguodala, and Gary Payton II have missed time as well, which has drastically affected the chemistry and rotations for coach Steve Kerr.
The Warriors have slipped to fourth in the West, tied with the Dallas Mavericks with less than 10 games to figure everything out. With the standings so tight, it's unclear just who Golden State will play in the first round. Let's take a look at their ideal matchups.
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Ideal Golden State Warriors playoff opponents
The Nikola Jokic matchup would be a disaster for the Warriors with only Kevon Looney, Nemanja Bjelica and Green as their bigs. However, the likely absences of Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. would benefit Golden State. With this in mind, the Warriors could build a wall or quickly double Jokic when one foot steps in the paint and force others to beat them.
Losing to either Aaron Gordon or Will Barton would be a commendable strategy for the Warriors. In the last game against Denver, Jokic lost steam in the second half because of the gritty and relentless defensive philosophies implemented by Kerr. This could be an upset if the Nuggets have a full lineup, but it is not looking like that will be the case. Still, Jokic would be a load and a brutal matchup for Golden State.
2. Utah Jazz
Even with the continuity and numerous years played together with this core of the Utah Jazz, they have still failed to reach the Western Conference Finals. The one major lacking piece for the Jazz is having another proven scorer on a consistent basis alongside Donovan Mitchell. Defenses tend to trap him and force others to create shots, which is not a recipe for success for their squad.
The Warriors are a franchise that blossoms with a small unit that would mitigate the strengths of Rudy Gobert in a seven-game series. He could be a non-factor in this series because Green or Otto Porter Jr. could play at the 5 and force him to closeout on shooters in the corner and defend guys who are much quicker. Moreover, the strengths of the Jazz with their ball movement and long-range shooting could be matched or even exceeded by the Warriors' lineup.
For a team with a young and offensive-minded Big Three in Karl Anthony-Towns, Anthony Edwards, and D'Angelo Russell leading the team in their first playoff appearance together, it would be difficult for them to make noise at that stage. This would be the perfect matchup for Golden State with Curry and Thompson still far from their peak form in terms of their shooting prowess.
While gaining confidence in time for a grueling second-round series, the Timberwolves seem like the perfect opponent because they have not proven to flourish under the bright lights and when the pressure heightens. Adding Patrick Beverley in the offseason was terrific, but they still lack the veteran presence and vocal leaders who would galvanize the group in the playoffs. They will still be a tough out, but the Warriors should be able to take care of the young pups with relative ease.
