Whether you love or hate the Golden State Warriors, you're probably going to watch a lot of them next season. They're the defending champions, they will be on national TV 40 times and, as long as they stay healthy, they could wind up having one of the best seasons of all-time without even pushing for it. Now that the 2017-18 schedule is out, here are 10 must-see Warriors games -- and hey, some of these might actually be competitive!

Oct. 17: Warriors vs. Rockets, 10:30 p.m., TNT

No one expects this to go like last year's season opener did -- the Spurs annihilated Golden State, remember? -- but the new-look Rockets could at least give the champs a run for their money. It is hard not to be excited about seeing the beginning of James Harden's partnership with Chris Paul, and Houston seems more equipped to defend the Warriors now that P.J. Tucker and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute on board. Hope that the Rockets' 3-pointers are falling and we see both teams hit the 120-point mark.  

Oct. 20: Warriors at Pelicans, 9:30 p.m., ESPN

This is a fun, early test for the superteam, as Anthony Davis has always given the Warriors problems and he has yet to face them with DeMarcus Cousins by his side. Can that two-headed monster make Golden State's frontcourt uncomfortable? If so, it will be an encouraging sign for a team that is still trying to establish an identity. 

Nov. 2: Warriors at Spurs, 8 p.m., TNT

I'm still mad that we didn't get to see a proper Warriors-Spurs series after Kawhi Leonard got hurt in last year's Western Conference finals. Leading up to this, everybody will be looking back at the first half of the first game of that series, when it looked like Golden State might finally be facing real adversity. San Antonio might not have had the most impressive offseason, but this is still appointment viewing. You'll want to watch their three other meetings (Feb. 10, March 8, March 19), too.

Nov. 11: Warriors vs. Sixers, 8:30 p.m., NBA League Pass

Don't laugh at the Sixers being here, instead consider this: imagine Joel Embiid matching up against the Warriors. This has yet to happen, so we don't know how they'll handle a 7-foot-2 dude who can shoot 3s, score in the post and make moves off the dribble. Philadelphia is going to be a League Pass favorite for a bunch of different reasons, and it should approach Golden State with the carefree confidence that comes with being young and having nothing to lose. 

Nov. 16: Warriors at Celtics, 8 p.m., TNT

The Celtics generally play the Warriors tough, and it'll be fascinating to see what changes with the addition of Gordon Hayward and the loss of Avery Bradley. I'm not going to say this is a possible Finals preview, but Boston will at least be thinking that way. One storyline here: the Celtics have become more Warriors-like now that Marcus Morris and Jayson Tatum are around -- they can play versatile lineups full a bunch of tall, long wings.  

Nov. 22: Warriors at Thunder, 8 p.m., ESPN

There's no need to explain this one. It's Kevin Durant vs. Russell Westbrook, but it's also Durant vs. Paul George, an incredible individual matchup. Just how good is this Thunder team? Can they summon some of the magic they had against Golden State in the 2016 playoffs back when Durant was on the roster? I could go on about the rebounding battle and whether or not Oklahoma City can get away with having Andre Roberson on the court, but that kind of stuff probably isn't why you're interested -- this became a rivalry the second Durant chose Golden State, and there should be at least one human cupcake in the crowd. 

Dec. 25: Warriors vs. Cavaliers, 3 p.m., ABC

The NBA went the safe route by going with this matchup on Christmas Day, and, dear intelligent reader, this did not surprise you one bit. We might not know exactly what the Cavs will look like by then, but there is going to be an enormous amount of hype about this, just as there is every time these teams meet. Assuming Cleveland has traded Kyrie Irving and become more versatile, it will be our first chance to see if it has improved its chances of slowing down this juggernaut. 

Jan. 15: Warriors at Cavaliers, 8 p.m., TNT

Just like last season, these two teams will follow their Christmas tilt with a rematch on Martin Luther King Day. Golden State will enter a hostile environment, the whole NBA world will be watching and the result will be dissected from every angle. Let's just hope everybody's healthy. 

March 11: Warriors at Timberwolves, 3:30 p.m., ABC

Minnesota is going to be mean as hell and it will probably try to muck up the Warriors' beautiful offense. The young Wolves beat Golden State both last year and the year before, and this team is way more talented now that Jimmy Butler has teamed up with Karl-Anthony Towns, who should be even more of a beast this coming season. (This is the last time these two teams play in the regular season -- presumably the Wolves, having had time to jell, will be their most dangerous at this point.)

April 3: Warriors vs. Thunder, 10:30 p.m., TNT 

These teams will also play on Feb. 6 on TNT and Feb. 24 on ABC, but I went with this one because it's occurring with a week left in the regular season. The Warriors could be approaching history, and the Thunder will likely be fighting for playoff positioning. This is a clever bit of scheduling.