"We're going to win some games," he said. "I know it."

Golden State's season seems to be spiraling downward fast, the team having lost 12 of 14 and on pace to win 23 games. But Crawford, whom the Warriors acquired from New York for forward Al Harrington on Nov. 21, is convinced this current stretch is just a rough patch.

The Warriors are 2-10 since he joined the squad, and today's game at the Indiana Pacers kicks off a road trip in which they play five games in seven nights. Yet, Crawford is expecting the turnaround to begin any minute now.

He said he knows how it sounds. He said he knows hope is fading among fans with every double-digit loss, every injury, every tinker with the lineup or scheme. Yet, he's confident brighter days are ahead. And he contends his confidence is not based on delusions of grandeur.

Crawford credited part of his feeling to his role as one of the team's newest veterans. He has to buy into the "stay positive" mantra inside the locker room. He's got a cohort in swingman Stephen Jackson.

"I'm not going to get down," Jackson said after Monday's loss to visiting Orlando. "I've been in situations before. I've won a championship. I know what to look at with the team I have, and I know what it takes to have a good team.

"We still have some pieces that we need to put together. We've got a beat-up team. Guys are not at their full potential right now."

Crawford has a ready checklist of reasons to believe the Warriors will soon improve. Perhaps his strongest case is eventual mercy from the schedule, which put the Warriors on the road for 23 of the first 36 games. While nine of the next 11 are on the road, Indiana, Charlotte, Oklahoma City and Minnesota are all struggling as mightily as the Warriors.

The Warriors have 16 of 24 at home in January and February combined, and nine of those Oracle guests are hovering around .500 or worse.

Crawford said he also sees the development of the youngsters another locker-room talking point starting to pay dividends. The improved play of point guard C.J. Watson, guard Marco Belinelli and forward Brandan Wright, Crawford said, figures to give the Warriors much-needed depth in the second half of the season.

Then, there's the pending return of guard Monta Ellis, which could happen anywhere between the end of this month to after the All-Star break. Ellis, even at 75 to 80 percent, figures to be a significant boost.

"I've been in bad situations before, and this doesn't feel like that," Crawford said. "We just have to figure out some ways to get some wins and get guys feeling good about themselves."

Legitimate hope, or is that denial talking?

Notes: Swingman Corey Maggette (strained right hamstring) did not travel with the team. He is in Los Angeles getting treatment from a physical therapist. A timetable for Maggette's return has not been set, as his return is based on his progress. ... The Warriors recalled guard DeMarcus Nelson from the Bakersfield Jam of the NBA Development League. Nelson, the Warriors' opening day starter at point guard, is filling in for Watson, who is attending his uncle's funeral.

Contact Marcus Thompson II at mthomps2@bayareanewsgroup.comTODAY: at Pacers, 4 p.m. TV: CSNBA. Radio: 1050-AM