Winless Is a Standing. Monday in Denver Is the Test.
A 0-3 start looks worse than it is, and Monday in Denver will show how much of the roster returns to prove it.
The Warriors lost 131-122 in Phoenix on the second night in a row, without Curry, Podziemski, Horford or Green, and they sit 15th at 0-3. They are 1.5 games behind tenth place, so the hole is real but shallow.
What did the short roster show?
Yaxel Lendeborg scored 26 with six threes, De'Anthony Melton added 25 off the bench and Brandon Williams had 20. The Warriors led 25-22 after one quarter and scored 38 in the third. A depleted group produced real offense, which is the part worth keeping.
Why did it still end 0-3?
Phoenix scored 45 in the third quarter, and an 8-0 run in the fourth turned 102-110 into 102-118. Devin Booker made 17 of 25 for 43 points. Gui Santos was minus-13 in 23 minutes and Gary Payton II minus-14 in 17. With so few bodies, one bad stretch had no cover.
What comes back Monday?
Curry, Podziemski, Green and Horford all carry a listed return date of Monday at Denver, and Santos, newly day-to-day, has the same date. Those are targets, not promises. Green was listed doubtful, then out, within a single day. Jimmy Butler is listed out until January 2, 2027, and Porzingis and Moody until December 1.
What is the number, and what is the question?
The number is 1.5, the gap to tenth place, held by the 1-1 Suns, whom the Warriors host again on November 2. Seventy-nine games remain. The question is the center spot. Charles Bassey went 4-for-4 in 13 minutes, while SFGATE wrote that the Warriors' center situation is dire. Denver will show whether Kerr can trust that spot if Horford's back keeps him out.
Where do the Warriors stand after three games?
They are 0-3 and 15th in the West, 1.5 games behind tenth place and 2.5 behind sixth.
When is the next Warriors game?
The Warriors visit the Nuggets on October 26, then play at Minnesota on October 28 and host the Lakers on October 30.
