Golden State Warriors
Dec 13, 2016; New Orleans, LA, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) high fives forward Kevin Durant (35) during the second half of a game against the New Orleans Pelicans at the Smoothie King Center. The Warriors defeated the Pelicans 113-109. USA TODAY Sports/Derick E. Hingle

The Golden State Warriors (29-5) will attempt to begin 2017 the same way they started the last two calendar years -- with a victory at home against the Denver Nuggets (14-19) on Monday night.

The 2015 NBA champions have been the league's most successful teams since the 2014-15 season, registering 144 victories -- seven more than the previous record set by Michael Jordan's Chicago Bulls which won 137 games through 1996 and 1997.

But despite all the regular season victories, many analysts feel the Warriors' true test will come during the postseason and a possible third consecutive finals clash against reigning champions Cleveland Cavaliers. Since Golden State's most recent loss to Cleveland, on Christmas Day, they've bounced back with comfortable victories over the Dallas Mavericks (108-99) and Toronto Raptors (121-111) and look poised to start the new year with a win.

Golden State Warriors not taking any team lightly

During the win over the Mavs, Golden State were out-scored 30-17 in the final quarter but managed to hold onto a 108-99 win. After the game, coach Steve Kerr cautioned his team and fans that any team in the league is capable of beating them on a given day. "I feel like there is kind of an expectation for us to win (every night) from our players and from everybody. It can take the life and the joy out of it. I want to make sure that our players are still out there having fun and that our fans are also not taking anything for granted," he said, via ESPN.

The Nuggets, on the other hand, are facing an identity crisis. After beginning the season with Jusuf Nurkic at centre, they've recently handed over the starting 5 spot to Serbian big man Nikola Jokic, who dropped 25 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists in just 22 minutes during the loss to Philadelphia 76ers last Friday. Last Monday, Jokic had 24 points and 10 rebounds during a 106-102 win over the Los Angeles Clippers. Jokic has also shown signs of a blossoming playmaker, averaging 5.2 assists over his last five games.

It's crystal clear that the Nuggets are entrusting Jokic as their new "go-to" player on both ends of the floor while Nurkic and Kenneth Faried come off the bench. Wilson Chandler is being used as a small-ball power forward by Michael Malone with points leader Danilo Gallinari (16.9 per game) starting at the 3 spot.

Malone, a former assistant coach for the Warriors, was unhappy about his team's 124-122 loss to Sixers but echoed the same message as Kerr -- that no victory comes easy in the highly competitive league. "When you win a few games, you start to feel pretty good about yourself and you forget why you've been winning games. We're not a team that can just show up."

After hosting the Nuggets, the Warriors will stay at home to face Portland Trail Blazers (Wednesday) and Memphis Grizzlies (Friday) before visiting the Sacramento Kings on Sunday.

Golden State Warriors vs Denver Nuggets live stream: How to watch

Start time: 10.30 PM (ET), 7.30 PM (PT), 1.30 PM on Tuesday (AEST), 2.30 PM (AEDT)
On TV: CSN Bay Area or Altitude Sports (USA)
Live Stream: NBA League Pass (Global)

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