Kurtenbach: The 9 games I’m circling on the Warriors’ 2022-23 schedule
Golden State Warriors 2022-23 schedule: Steph Curry and the defending
champions will face tough tests throughout the campaign.
>SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA – MAY 13: Golden State Warriors’ Stephen
Curry (30) drives against Memphis Grizzlies’ Jaren Jackson Jr. (13) in
the third quarter of Game 6 of a second-round NBA basketball playoff
series at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Friday, May 13,
2022. The Golden State Warriors defeated the Memphis Grizzlies 110-96.
(Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
>SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA – MAY 13: Golden State Warriors’ Stephen
Curry (30) drives against Memphis Grizzlies’ Jaren Jackson Jr. (13) in
the third quarter of Game 6 of a second-round NBA basketball playoff
series at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Friday, May 13,
2022. The Golden State Warriors defeated the Memphis Grizzlies 110-96.
(Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
By DIETER KURTENBACH | dkurtenbach@bayareanewsgroup.com | Bay Area News
Group
PUBLISHED: August 17, 2022 at 12:33 p.m. | UPDATED: August 18, 2022 at
4:25 a.m.
https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2022/08/17/kurtenbach-the-9-games-im-circling-on-the-warriors-2022-23-schedule/

The NBA schedule is out, and while we can’t go contest-by-contest and
pick who wins, we can circle a few dates on the Warriors’ calendar of 82
games.

We could start with opening night, but I won’t. Enjoy the banner raising
and ring ceremony, but I’m not actually looking forward to a game
against the Western Conference’s 11th seed from last year. Why did the
league schedule a patsy for that game? Shameful.

Here are the nine games I am actually excited to watch this upcoming season.

11/27/22 — Warriors @ Timberwolves» The Wolves are going for it this
season, looking to up the emotional high that is winning a play-in game.
Then again, Minnesota’s idea of “going for it” is making the biggest
move of the offseason (to date) by trading four first-round picks for
Rudy Gobert. I’m excited to see Steph Curry cook Gobert’s drop coverage
for 32 minutes, while Karl Anthony-Towns spends the entire game outside
the 3-point arc, lest Draymond Green makes him cry in the post. Anthony
Edwards is cool, though. It’ll be fun to see him, too.

12/10/22 — Warriors vs. Celtics» The first of two rematch games of last
season’s NBA Finals, this game will be a referendum on everything that
happened in that series. If the Celtics win this regular season game,
expect them to petition the league to have the Larry O’Brien trophy sent
to Boston.

12/16/22 — Warriors @ Sixers» It’s the battle that everyone has wanted
to see all summer: Joel Embiid vs. Kevon Looney. Or is that Embiid vs.
James Wiseman? This will be a great test for the Warriors’ frontcourt
(pending Embiid, you know, actually playing). Oh, and James Harden will
be there, too. We still don’t like him around these parts, right?

12/25/22 — Warriors vs. Grizzlies» As unbecoming as these two teams’
playoff series was last season, the Grizzlies are hellbent on making
this a rivalry. I think the Warriors should oblige them. They do better
with sworn enemies, after all. (See: Rockets, Houston.) This game has
the highest chance of looking like playoff basketball, which is to say
that it could be awesome for all 48 minutes. Merry Christmas, indeed.

1/13/23 — Warriors @ Spurs» The Spurs are going to be awful, but this
game should be a blast — they’re going to play it in the Alamodome, with
the intent of setting an NBA record for attendance at 65,000-plus. They
should get there, and that spectacle alone will spice up a regular
season game that would otherwise be forgotten, perhaps even before the
game started.

1/22/23 — Warriors vs. Nets» Kevin Durant plays his old team at Chase
Center for the first time in front of fans — and on a Sunday, to boot.
The only question is, which team is the old one?

3/2/23 — Warriors vs. Clippers» I picked a late-season Clippers game
because I have zero trust that Kawhi Leonard will actually be playing in
the 2022 portion of the campaign. I know the Clippers are saying that he
will, but I will believe it when I see it. In the meantime, I’ll look
forward to this contest, between what I believe will be the top threats
to win the Western Conference this season.

3/11/23 – Warriors vs. Bucks» NBA Finals preview? I can get behind that,
and a nationally televised Saturday night game, too. This is part of the
most interesting stretch for the Warriors this upcoming season — a
six-game, five-town trip starting March 9. They’re at Memphis, followed
by this Bucks game and a home matchup with the Suns two days later, then
they’ll take a trip to play the Clippers, which is followed by a
back-to-back in Atlanta and Memphis. If the Warriors are about repeating
as champions, we should find out there.

3/28/23 — Warriors vs. Pelicans» There are two Warriors home games
against the Pelicans, one at the beginning of March and one at the end.
I just want to see Zion Williamson play basketball once in person. Is
that too much to ask?