The Golden State Warriors are off to a 14-0 start, one game shy of tying the NBA record of 15 consecutive wins to open the regular season. Their season been nothing short of incredible, capitalized by a 23 point comeback over the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday night. One can’t help but to compare the 2015-16 Warriors to some of the best teams in NBA history, and there are plenty of reasons to believe right now that this year’s Golden State team is more than capable of winning 70 or more games. The Warriors are by far the best team in the NBA, and the best part about them is that their brand of basketball is wildly entertaining and so much fun to watch.
The Warriors Keep on Rolling
This year, Stephen Curry has been the best basketball player on the planet, and as foolish as it sounds, he has improved tremendously from last year’s MVP season. Curry is averaging five three pointers per game, putting him on pace to finish the season with 410 threes, which would easily surpass the current record of 286 set by, of course, Stephen Curry himself. Even though he attempts an absurd 11.5 threes per game, Curry has maintained a 52% field goal percentage, which is unheard of for a guard taking so many shots off the dribble and from the perimeter. The Warriors as a whole have played a style of up-tempo, carefree basketball that has never been perfected quite like this before in the NBA. The man on the court most responsible for their fun, energetic style of play is the reigning MVP, who has put on a highlight reel of moves that are usually only seen in video games.
After Curry, the Dubs have the most depth of any team in the league. The other splash brother, Klay Thompson, remains as one of the best, if not the best, shooting guard in the NBA, shooting the ball with confidence and playing physical defense on the other end. Draymond Green’s reputation as a glorified role player may officially be in the past, as he has now proven to be a cornerstone player for the Warriors to build around. Green’s shooting, dribbling, passing, rebounding, and defensive abilities make him the epitome of a versatile player on the basketball court. The former second round draft selection has stuffed the stat sheet this year, averaging 12.3 points, 7.9 rebounds, 6.9 assists, 1.3 steals, 1.3 blocks, and 1.6 threes per game on 42% shooting from downtown. Green has been efficient, reliable, and extremely valuable to the Warriors this season. Both Harrison Barnes and Andre Iguodala have been shooting the ball well from the floor and playing excellent defense, helping spread out the offense and add versatility on the defensive end. Last year’s NBA Finals proved Iguodala’s value to this team, and he has done nothing but continue to help the Warriors mesh as a team this season. Towards the end of close games, interim coach Luke Walton has decided to use his small ball lineup of Curry-Thompson-Iguodala-Barnes-Green, which is a matchup nightmare for other teams. This lineup consists of five players who can shoot, dribble, pass, and defend with the best of them, making the Warriors impossible to defend down the stretch.
Speaking of interim coach Luke Walton, he has filled in since the beginning of October for head coach Steve Kerr, who has had multiple back surgeries. Walton has done as fantastic of a job as one could ask for, keeping the Warriors motivated and guiding them to a 14-0 start. Even LeBron James admitted that the Warriors, the defending champions, have opened the young season hungrier than any other team. It’s unknown how much longer Luke Walton will need to coach this team, but the way Golden State has been playing, it certainly doesn’t seem like it will matter.
In order to make NBA history with a 16-0 start, the Warriors will need to win in Denver and at home against the Lakers, two games that shouldn’t pose much of a threat. How far the Warriors go after that remains to be seen, but it is extremely tough to pick against them in their pursuit to win back to back NBA championships. Will Golden State win 73 games and strip the ’96 Chicago Bulls of their record? They have as good of a chance as any team has in the past twenty years, but until the season gets deeper (its still November!), the media shouldn’t jump to any conclusions. Let’s just enjoy this special ride that Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors are taking us on.
