The Golden State Warriors came out of the gates hot in the 2025-26 season, starting 4-1 with wins over the Los Angeles Lakers and Denver Nuggets. Then, things got a little rocky, going 9-14 in their next 23 games, before starting to find their rhythm again at the end of December. In their last six games of 2025, the Warriors went 5-1, trending in the right direction.

However, that doesn't mean the Warriors are safe and looking like a lock to be a playoff team again, as the path in front of them has many challenges. When they return to action on Friday night, they'll face the Oklahoma City Thunder at home, starting a stretch of 10 of their next 12 games being at the Chase Center in San Francisco.

After securing back-to-back wins over the Brooklyn Nets and Charlotte Hornets, Warriors star Steph Curry was asked about the team's turnaround over the last six games, showing the team's understanding of the situation they are in.

"We understand who we're playing against and it doesn't matter on the road, you got to come with the right mentality. Try to simplify the game on both ends," Curry said.

While the Warriors' recent wins haven't exactly come against the top teams in the league, Curry understands you can't change your mentality and have to keep the same focus as if you were playing a top team. Talent matters significantly in the NBA, but any team can win on any given night as well.

"On a back-to-back and then a short turnaround coming here was a sign of who we can be. Nobody's getting ahead of ourselves and we got to stay humble at this point, knowing that we haven't really done anything. But we are building an identity as we go forward," he added.

Leading the way for the Warriors over the last six games has been Curry, averaging 28.2 points and 4.8 assists per game, while making 94.9% of his free throws and attempting over 11 threes per game. Jimmy Butler has also contributed 19.8 points, 5.2 assists, and 4.8 rebounds over that stretch, with Brandin Podziemski adding 13.2 points on 52.8% shooting from the field.

When it all boils down, the Warriors need participation and execution from across the roster in order to get back to looking like one of the top teams in the West. With signs pointing toward Jonathan Kuminga's exit, perhaps a player or players acquired for the young forward could give a boost to the lineup.

But, there's still some time before he becomes trade eligible, so the Warriors need to see what they can put together with their current group before thinking of factoring in new pieces to the rotation.