For the first time in more than a decade, the Golden State Warriors place as part of the NBA’s Christmas Day schedule could be in serious danger.
The Warriors have featured in 11 consecutive Christmas Day games, posting a 6-5 record during that span which included a 120-114 loss in last year’s outing against the Nuggets in Denver.
The Christmas Day slate is arguably the most exciting part of the NBA regular season, usually featuring the best teams taking on each other in blockbuster matchups.
But after barely making the Play-In Tournament last season before promptly being eliminated in dominant fashion by the Sacramento Kings, can Golden State be classified one of the league’s best teams?
The answer to that is probably no, though it could change should they swing a significant trade (Lauri Markkanen) over the remainder of the offseason. Regardless, it’s not all about the quality of the team, but also about their value as a product to the league.
That’s where the Warriors still remain near the top, thanks almost exclusively to 2x MVP and superstar point guard Stephen Curry.
The 36-year-old led the league in jersey sales for the second-straight year last season, topping the list that saw LeBron James, Jayson Tatum, Victor Wembanyama and Giannis Antetekoumpo round out the top five.
According to NBA Communications, Curry, James, Wembanyama and Antetekoumpo, along with Luka Doncic, were the top five most watched player highlights last season. As a result, Golden State were also the second-most watched team in the league behind the Los Angeles Lakers.
It’s not as if the franchise will be abhorrent either, with winning still a top priority as Curry enters the twighlight of his career.
They should be around the Play-In mark again at the very least, and could even be in the top four conversation in the West according to ESPN’s Tim Bontemps recently. Combine that with their popularity and it should really be a no-brainer.
If the NBA wishes to get the most eyeballs on this year’s Christmas Day games as they possibly can, then they’ll include Curry and the Warriors on the slate when the fixture is released next month.
