Honestly, if you looked at the Golden State Warriors standings 2025 NBA for more than five seconds, you'd probably think the dynasty is finally, officially, dead in the water. We are deep into January 2026, and the record isn't exactly a masterpiece. As of today, January 17, 2026, the Dubs are sitting at 23-19. They’re the 8th seed in a Western Conference that feels more like a shark tank than a professional basketball league.
It's a weird spot. You see the Oklahoma City Thunder up there at 35-7 looking like they're playing a different sport, and then you see the Warriors just... hovering. But looking at the raw numbers is sorta like reading the back of a cereal box and thinking you know how to cook. The standings tell you where they are, but they don't tell you how they got there or why the rest of the West is terrified of a team that's barely four games over .500.
The Reality of the Golden State Warriors Standings 2025 NBA Right Now
So, let's talk about that 8th spot. Being 8th in the West usually means you're fighting for your life in the play-in tournament. But this year? The gap between the 5th seed (Lakers at 24-15) and the Warriors is basically a couple of bad shooting nights.
One thing that's been driving the Bay Area crazy is the home-road split. It's almost comical. They are 15-6 at Chase Center—looking like the world-beaters we remember. Then they get on a plane and it’s like they forget how to play basketball, posting an 8-13 record on the road. You can't be a serious contender with a losing record away from home. Steve Kerr knows it. Draymond knows it.
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What the Box Scores Miss
- The Jimmy Butler Factor: Remember when the trade happened? Integrating Jimmy "Buckets" into a motion offense was always going to be clunky. He’s averaging about 21 points, but the chemistry with Steph is still a work in progress.
- The Youth Movement: Jonathan Kuminga is finally a consistent 18-point-per-game guy. He’s the reason they haven't fallen to the 12th seed.
- Steph is still Steph: The man is 37 and leading the team with 28.1 points per game. He's 10th in the league in scoring. If he hits a slump, this whole thing collapses.
Why the Defense is a Total Paradox
Earlier in the season, some pundits were calling this a top-5 defense. If you watch the tape, though, it’s a mess. They give up way too many open corner threes. According to recent tracking data, opponents are getting wide-open looks from the corners nearly every single game.
The Warriors are currently 8th in scoring defense, allowing 113.2 points per game. That looks decent on paper. But as experts like those on Dubs Talk have pointed out, they are "small and slow." When you have Al Horford (yes, he's there too) and Draymond Green as your primary big-man rotation in 2026, you're going to give up some size.
They rely on "fool's gold" stats. They're 6th in three-point defense percentage (34.7%), but a lot of that is just luck and teams missing open shots rather than elite closing out. If that luck turns, the Golden State Warriors standings 2025 NBA position will drop faster than a brick.
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Can They Actually Catch the Leaders?
Catching OKC is a fever dream. The Thunder are 12 games ahead. Forget about it.
But catching the Spurs or the Nuggets for a top-4 seed? That’s the real goal. San Antonio is at 28-13, and Denver is right there with them. The Warriors are only 6.5 games back from that home-court advantage territory. It sounds like a lot, but with 40 games left, a single 10-game win streak changes the entire conversation.
The problem is the schedule. February is a nightmare. They have a massive East Coast road trip coming up, and given their road struggles, that could be the "make or break" moment for their season.
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Actionable Insights for the Second Half
If you're a betting person or just a die-hard fan trying to figure out if you should buy playoff tickets, here’s what you need to watch for:
Watch the Turnover Percentage: Currently, they’re sitting at a 14% turnover rate. That's too high for a team that doesn't have the elite transition defense they used to have. If that number drops to 11% or 12%, they win five more games purely on possessions.
The Rotation Tightening: Steve Kerr is still playing 11 guys. In the playoffs, you play 8. Watch for Moses Moody or Brandin Podziemski to either secure a permanent 25-minute role or disappear from the rotation entirely by March.
Health of the Vets: Draymond and Steph have missed a combined 12 games so far. If that number stays low, they rise. If Draymond’s back acts up or Steph tweaks an ankle, they are a lottery team. Period.
Keep a close eye on the Golden State Warriors standings 2025 NBA over the next three weeks. If they can get through this road stretch at .500, they're going to be the "team nobody wants to play" in April. If not? It might be time to start looking at the 2026 Draft boards.