Veteran Al Horford braces for the Warriors' demanding six-game road trip.
The Golden State Warriors are getting ready for one of their toughest stretches of the season, and veteran center Al Horford knows just how big of a test lies ahead.
With the Warriors sitting at 6-5 entering Tuesday's game against the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder (10-1), the upcoming six-game road trip will tell the team a lot about where they stand in the Western Conference.
"I mean I think it's significant," Horford said ahead of the trip. "I know it's still November but it's a big challenge for our group and the way to address it, and I know that we will. We'll take it a game at a time and we can't overlook anyone."
The Road Trip Challenge
The Warriors are about to face one of their longest trips of the season, with six games over nine days against mostly playoff-caliber opponents.
The journey starts in Oklahoma City, where they'll face the defending champions, who have been nearly perfect at 10-1 to start the season, and includes stops in San Antonio, New Orleans, Orlando, and Miami.
"You know all I'm thinking is OKC, they're playing at home, they play really well, defending champs like you said," Horford explained. "So we can't even think about the rest of it, just have to focus on that first one. That's going to be great to see kind of where we're at as a group."
Warriors' Early Season Struggles
Golden State has had a rocky start to the 2025-26 campaign, going 6-5 in their first 11 games while dealing with a tough schedule that included three back-to-backs.
The team went 1-5 in their first six road games and has looked vulnerable on defense at times, currently ranked seventh in defensive rating (111.4) but just 19th in offensive rating (114.0).
The Warriors recently dropped games to Sacramento (121-117) and Denver (129-104) before bouncing back with a dominant 114-83 home win over Indiana on Sunday. That victory came without star guard Stephen Curry, who missed three straight games with an illness but is expected to return for Tuesday's game in Oklahoma City.
Horford Finding His Way
The 39-year-old Horford is in his first season with the Warriors after signing a multi-year deal in the offseason following four years in Boston. Through seven games, he's averaging 5.6 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game while shooting 30 percent from three-point range.
However, Horford had his best game as a Warrior on Sunday against the Pacers, scoring 12 points on four three-pointers while adding four rebounds and three blocks in just 18 minutes off the bench.
His veteran presence and ability to stretch the floor as a big man have been valuable additions to Golden State's roster, even if the numbers haven't been eye-popping yet.
Who Needs to Step Up
For the Warriors to survive this brutal road trip, they'll need more consistent production from several key players beyond just Curry.
Butler has been solid in his first full season with the team, putting up 21 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists in Sunday's win, but Jonathan Kuminga and Brandin Podziemski need to provide more offensive punch.
Draymond Green's leadership on defense will be crucial as the Warriors face elite offensive teams like Oklahoma City and San Antonio's Victor Wembanyama.
The bench production has been inconsistent, with Trayce Jackson-Davis and Quinten Post needing to provide quality minutes when Horford rests, especially with the veteran unlikely to play both ends of back-to-backs.
The Warriors face back-to-back games on Wednesday in San Antonio and Thursday at New Orleans, then another on Sunday in Orlando before finishing the trip Monday in Miami.