National Basketball Association

Golden State Warriors: 5 potential trap games

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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May 9, 2016; Portland, OR, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) flexes his muscles after making a basket in overtime against the Portland Trail Blazers in game four of the second round of the NBA Playoffs at Moda Center at the Rose Quarter. Mandatory Credit: Jaime Valdez-USA TODAY Sports

The Golden State Warriors face potential trap game situations with these five games.

The regular season is almost here for the Golden State Warriors. After a season of history and heartbreak last year, the Warriors will look to make a new mark with the addition of Kevin Durant. Although the Warriors likely won’t be chasing history this time around, they still will win plenty of games.

However, there will be nights when teams bring the best against their Warriors. Those games are called trap games and are reserved for teams that aren’t in the top three or four teams in the league. When a team like the Warriors has the roster that they do, there are some potential trap games they have to watch out for. These are the top five trap games on the roster.

5. at Portland – January 29

It’s hard to call a game against Portland a trap game. They pushed Golden State in the playoffs and it took an incredible performance from Stephen Curry to move on. However, this is a trap game because of the fact it lands on a Sunday night, and is in Portland.

The Warriors will likely be riding high into their contest against Portland and with this game taking place a couple of weeks before the All-Star Break, they might be in to resting guys. They might also try to put things on cruise control.

This game could be much like the regular season game last year where Portland ran the Golden State out of the arena in Portland. The Trail Blazers just play at a different level when they are at home and this game has trap written all over it.

March 25, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Anderson Varejao (18, left) talks to Dallas Mavericks forward Dwight Powell (7) during the third quarter at Oracle Arena. The Warriors defeated the Mavericks 128-120. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

4. vs Dallas – December 30

The Golden State Warriors made history last season when they set the NBA record for longest home winning streak. They’re going to win close to 40 games at home this season, simply because they have an insane advantage at home. However, there will be a couple of unexpected teams that challenge them.

One game that feels like a bit of a trap at home is on December 30th, when the Warriors host the Dallas Mavericks. It will be the second time that Dallas visits Golden State this season and they have the veteran savvy to steal a game like this.

The Warriors will be in the midst of a long home stretch during this period after their Christmas game at Cleveland. On this particular home stand, one team is going to rise up and give this team a fight. Rick Carlisle is a fantastic coach and will look to challenge Golden State.

Kevin Durant struggled against Dallas in the playoffs and it won’t be surprising to see Dallas try a similar game plan. The Warriors could always blow the pants off the Mavericks and win by 40, but they can’t overlook Dallas here.

Oct 6, 2016; San Jose, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) dribbles towards the hoop against the Sacramento Kings in the second quarter at the SAP Center. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports

3. at Sacramento – January 8

Once that aforementioned home stand is over, the Warriors have one quick little road trip to make. They will take on the Sacramento Kings on January 8th, and it could be a game where the Warriors try to let the bench go at it on the road.

The team just simply has a grueling stretch to begin January, based on the sheer amount of games they will be playing. Steve Kerr is going to have to pick and choose which nights he is going to be resting players. This one-off road trip to Sacramento seems like the perfect time.

DeMarcus Cousins and the Kings are going to play Golden State hard under head coach Dave Joerger. They are trying to prove that they can become more competitive this year. Getting a win at home over Golden State could go a long way.

If Golden State does decide to play their players this game, they have to put a solid game plan in place to stop Cousins. That’s not an easy task to do at all. This is the time of the year where Golden State is trying to balance rest with winning. This is a perfectly placed trap game.

Jan 13, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) reacts in the fourth quarter against the Denver Nuggets at the Pepsi Center. The Nuggets defeated the Warriors 112-110. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

2. at Denver – November 10

One of the very rare losses for the Golden State Warriors last year came against the Denver Nuggets. Playing in the altitude against a Denver team with some unique talent isn’t an easy task. While the Warriors got a lot better with Kevin Durant, the Nuggets are getting better too.

These two teams play early in the season and the Warriors aren’t going to be completely gelled when they take the floor. Should the Warriors win this game? Absolutely. Is there a chance that Denver pulls off the upset at home with a myriad of talented players? Of course.

This game also happens to be on the back end of a back-to-back as well. The Warriors will play at home against the Dallas Mavericks the night before and then have to hop on a plane to Denver. They won’t get into the city until late and they could be a little fatigued.

The Nuggets will be trying to get a statement win for their young players like many other teams that face the Warriors this season. If Golden State is cold from the floor to begin this one, it could be a long night.

Mar 21, 2016; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) and Minnesota Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) hug after the game at Target Center. The Golden State Warriors beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 109-104. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports

1. at Minnesota – December 11

One of the biggest upsets in the NBA last season was when the Minnesota Timberwolves defeated the Golden State Warriors at Oracle. The young Timberwolves boast an insane amount of talent and are only going to get better. If there is a trap game on the list, it’s December 11th at Minnesota.

The Warriors play the night before in Memphis and there stands a good chance that’s going to be a physical game. Teams that play on the back end of back-to-back games often struggle with the latter one. The Warriors are going to be bruised up after a physical game against Minnesota.

They have almost no turnaround and have to play the Timberwolves the very next day. This game has trap written all over it. The Timberwolves and Karl-Anthony Towns are going to bring their best against Golden State and try to pick up a statement win.

Don’t be surprised if Steve Kerr tries to rest some guys in this scenario either. There’s no doubt they will be the favorites coming into this game, but no one should be shocked if Minnesota takes this one. They’re hungry and looking for another statement game to build off of.