Warriors: A Look Into the Future

December 29, 2012; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors point guard Stephen Curry (30, front) shoots the ball Boston Celtics power forward Brandon Bass (30, back) during the third quarter at ORACLE Arena. The Warriors defeated the Celtics 101-83. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

How do other Western Conference teams feel about the Warriors? They’re in the 5th position, unable to move forward, but they are a considerable distance from dropping to the 6th seed. Right now, they’re as hot as they ever have been. This is why they’re going to go deep in the playoffs.

Currently on a three game winning streak, the Warriors are going to have their toughest stretch of games in the next couple of weeks. This week, as many may fear, the Warriors have just two games: both against the Clippers. The Clippers are every team’s fear, and are the new focus of LA. I predict that the Warriors will end their winning streak, but which game?

They’re excellent infront of their home crowd, but they’re even better on the road, gaining the name Road Warriors.

The Warriors, now at 21-10 should be wondering.. How much do other teams fear them?

The Warriors are in an excellent spot to end the year. This is the first time in 30 years that they’ve had more than 20 wins before the New Year. This is a moral boost for them, as they feel they’re coming into playoff contention. If they can play the Grizzlies in the first round, that would be good for them: it’d likely be the series to watch.

Predicting the Warriors into the playoffs at this point, is a no-brainer, but having them possibly face off against the Clippers, or maybe even the Thunder in the WCF is a tough one. Yes, while each and every fan, as well as bandwagon, is happy that the Warriors are finally winning, the experience level is very low. The only two players ever to play in a playoff game on the roster are Richard Jefferson and Andris Biedrins. Expect their minutes to increase closer to the end of the season. The return of Andrew Bogut, who has also participated in a playoff game, is much anticipated.

While David Lee and Stephen Curry are two of the league’s best scorers, neither of them has been in an extremely high pressured NBA game. I feel as if Lee will be able to handle it, but Curry may shine away from the big moment. Lee’s consistency shows the probability of him being the Warriors’ primary scorer in the playoffs. Although Klay Thompson is a big-time scorer in big moments, he is still just a sophomore and also may shine away from the spot line. Harrison Barnes, however, can be clutch from time to time: he will step it up in the playoffs.