Warriors have lofty expectations

Pressure busts pipes. This year, the Warriors have much more pressure on them than the end of last season and it will be fun to see how they handle it and the increased attention from other teams.

It's one thing to play spoiler. It's one thing to exceed low expectations, to peak when the pressure's off, to win when there's nothing to lose.

For all the hype surrounding the Warriors' strong finish last season, when they won 20 of their final 30 games, the success came with a "but." With a .500 or better record out of reach, it was pretty much garbage time in a blowout season.

But this time around, it's a whole new ballgame. This season, opens tonight against the visiting Atlanta Hawks, will be marked by something most of the Warriors haven't experienced at this level. The Warriors' success will be largely determined by their ability to handle this one thing.

Pressure.