Warriors' honeymoon period could be over as tough stretch awaits

The 6-1 Warriors are off to their best start since the 2021-22 season when they began 12-1 en route to an NBA title.

However, the key difference is those Warriors three years ago defeated powerhouse teams in both conferences and were legitimate title contenders from the onset. 

The current iteration has notched up wins against the Blazers (3-5), Jazz (1-6), Clippers (3-4), two wins against the injured Pelicans (3-5), Rockets (4-3) and Wizards (2-4). 

Granted, they've beaten the teams in front of them, and handily. Through six games, Golden State is ranked second in net rating, second in defensive rating and fourth in offensive rating — all markers of an elite team. They've also dominated the hustle categories, ranking first in deflections, second in steals and third in transition points.  

There's a lot to like about these Warriors, who've drawn comparisons with the 2014-15 "strength in numbers" team for their ability to get stops and score in a flurry. But it's hard to be certain if they've benefited from an easy schedule through the first two weeks, or if they can replicate the success against tougher opponents. 

If these Warriors are for real, we'll likely know within the next 10 days or so when they endure a brutal stretch of games against teams such as the Celtics (7-1), Cavaliers (8-0), Thunder (7-0), Mavericks (4-3) and Grizzlies (4-4). Three of those teams are among the top four NBA title contenders and the other is off to its best start since 1976-77.

After their 125-112 win over the Wizards on Monday, Warriors coach Steve Kerr admitted that he'll learn a lot about his team over the upcoming stretch of games.