As the Golden State Warriors wrap up their eight-game homestand with a 119-93 win over the Chicago Bulls, the focus turns to the next test on their radar. Golden State now embarks on their first true road trip of the season, with four games that will take them across the east coast next week. After building cohesion with this roster at home, now the Warriors must carry that momentum on the road.

Golden State will travel to Charlotte, Brooklyn, Cleveland, and wrap up their trip in Detroit. The next four games provide an excellent opportunity for the Warrior to bolster their position atop the Western Conference standings, while also adding more justification to their designation as the best team in the league.

As the Warriors look to go 4-0 on their road trip, here’s the tale of the tape for Golden State’s opponents:

Charlotte Hornets (7-7)

Golden State kicks off the road trip with a sequel, as the Warriors match up with the Hornets for round two of the season. The first meeting between these two teams on November 3 resulted in a 114-92 win for the Warriors, who benefited from a big scoring night from Jordan Poole (31 points). Now on the road in Charlotte, expect an equally competitive showing from this young and aggressive Hornets team.

The Warriors and Hornets are both top five in points scored, top five in team three-point percentage, and top five in assists. Case in point, expect an aggressive and highly contested game from both teams, especially as Charlotte hopes to even the season series. If anything, it’s up to Golden State to match their energy right from the first whistle.

Brooklyn Nets (9-4)

Without a doubt, this is the marquee matchup on the road trip schedule and it's no surprise that Golden State’s head-to-head with Brooklyn is on national television. After a mixed start to the season, the Nets are (9-4) and sit in third place within the Eastern Conference standings. Tuesday night could very well be a preview of a much-desired NBA Finals matchup.

There’s no stopping Kevin Durant, but Golden State has noteworthy depth and a roster with a tenacity for defense. The Warriors can throw a few different players at Durant to at least make him work for his points. Meanwhile, Golden State can’t afford to get baited into the foul game with James Harden, who is averaging 4.7 free throw attempts per game, far lower than his career average of 8.7.

Cleveland Cavaliers (8-5)

Don’t look now, but the Cavaliers at (8-5) sit in fourth place in the Eastern Conference standings, above presumed conference favorites like the Philadelphia 76ers and defending champion Milwaukee Bucks. And their record is not a mirage either: much of their early-season success has been due to the scoring contribution from Darius Garland (16.3 ppg), Jarret Allen’s tenacity on the glass (11.2 rbg), and rookie Evan Mobley’s presence on defense (1.4 bpg).

If there is one area that teams will look to exploit Golden State, it’s their lack of traditional size in the paint. Interestingly enough, the Warriors are third in the NBA in rebounds per game (with Stephen Curry averaging a career high 6.3 rebounds per game), but they can’t afford to overlook their hustle to attack the glass, especially against a team like Cleveland with size in the paint.

Detroit Pistons (2-9)

It’s likely that the Warriors could play through three highly contested matchups to start this road trip, but they’ll be granted a nice gift for their final stop in Detroit before they return back home. The Pistons rank dead last in points, team field goal percentage, three-point percentage, and near last in total rebounds. Golden State and Detroit are on complete opposite ends of the league spectrum, and the Warriors should be able to handle them easily.

The Warriors will game plan for Jerami Grant, who is Detroit’s leading scorer with (18.4 ppg). Golden State will also get their first look at the this year’s top draft pick Cade Cunningham, who is still adjusting to the league as is evident by his split stats through his first six games (12.0 ppg,

Road Trip prediction: 4-0

Road trips can be unpredictable for any team, contender or non-contender, and it will be a test for the Warriors to bring their cohesion on the road in an opponent’s arena. Charlotte’s energy, hungry for a revenge win, provides a possible opportunity to catch Golden State off-guard. Of course, Kevin Durant and James Harden are the most formidable on paper during this road trip. Cleveland’s hot start could be a sneaky setup for a Cavaliers win.

But heading into Friday night’s game against the Bulls, the consensus hesitation on the Warriors’ hot start was that they “didn’t play any real teams yet” and that their schedule was “soft.” In response, Golden State overcame a contested first quarter and put away Chicago (a good team on the rise and currently third in the Eastern Conference) with their defense.

Whether Curry has a slow night or whether the team can’t buy a bucket from deep, they know their defense is the x-factor that helps find ways to win. For that reason, Golden State should continue to feel very confident heading into this east coast road trip.

(Photo credit: AP Photo/Nate Billings)