Will the Warriors Make the Finals This Year? A Look At the Stats

The Golden State Warriors currently sit atop the Western Conference standings, with a record of 45-20. At this point in the season, there are only two teams — the Milwaukee Bucks and Toronto Raptors — with better records than the back-to-back NBA Champions.

With that said, there are a couple of issues of concern for the defending champs, which may indicate that they are actually more vulnerable than they've been in recent years.

First off, the Dubs have not defended home court well, this season, continuing a troubling trend which began last season. In fact, last season's mark of 29-12 at home was by far the worst of the Steve Kerr era:

Home Record

2014-15: 39-2

2015-16: 39-2

2016-17: 36-5

2017-18: 29-12

2018-19: 24-9 (8 home games remaining)

While this current season's home record stands mere percentage points ahead of last year's pace, the Warriors still have proven to be far from the nightmare they used to be at Oracle Arena, throughout their championship run.

The other troubling trend plaguing the Bay's team is their record against quality opponents. Against teams with a record of .500 or better, they are a disappointing 20-16. Compare that mark with how they've fared against opponents from the same category in recent years, and the data is shocking:

Record vs .500+ Teams

2014-15: 45-9

2015-16: 41-5

2016-17: 33-11

2017-18: 30-19

What's worse is how the Dubs have performed against the league's "elite" teams. Against the other six teams in the league's top-7, the Warriors are 5-8, winless against both the Toronto Raptors (0-2) and the surging Houston Rockets (0-3).

Two hallmarks of the Warrior-dominated past four seasons, which saw them set the all-time mark for W-L record (73-9 in '15-'16) and go (3-1) over the course of four consecutive NBA Finals appearances, have been their incredible home court record and their ability to handle the league's best teams. The trends show that each category has been sliding since their 73-9 season, though they won championships each of the past two seasons. However, it remains to be seen whether this season's struggles are indicative of a team that has grown weary (and possibly bored) with the grind of the regular season, or, perhaps, it is a reflection of a league that has finally caught up to the team that is always considered a real-life "cheat code."