The Golden State Warriors are fully back. After a couple of seasons out of title contention, the Warriors are second in the Western Conference. They are only a game back of the first seed, the Phoenix Suns. The Dubs are doing it for a few reasons. Firstly, it is their historic defense, led by Draymond Green. Secondly, Stephen Curry is playing one of the best seasons of his career, which is saying a ton. Curry is a two-time MVP and the first (and only) unanimous MVP in the history of the league. Still, this is one of the best seasons he played in the league. There are many reasons why they are up in the standings, so here are two reasons why the Golden State Warriors are title contenders.
Warriors title contenders
Steph Curry
The season Steph Curry is having cannot be undersold. He has been playing on a great level, as the Warriors superstar broke many records this season. First, he overtook Ray Allen as the player with the most three-pointers in the NBA. Then, just a few games after that, he hit his 3000th three against the Knicks in the Madison Square Garden. This Curry season is not only about records though, but it is also about him chasing one of his last chances for the fourth championship.
As of right now, Steph Curry is averaging 26.8 points, 6.1 assists, 5.3 rebounds, on 42% shooting from the field, and 38.8% shooting from three-point land. Those numbers took a slight dip, as the Warriors lost three out of the last five. However, they are still impressive and if Curry can get the Warriors up in the first seed, he might be staring down his third MVP. Of course, it is not only about personal accolades, but the Warriors winning games is Curry's main priority.
It is true that it is Curry that gets the Warriors where they need to be offensively. That is made even more impressive by the fact that he does not have much support. Of course, he does have Klay Thompson, scheduled to return in the coming games after a full two-season absence due to knee injuries. From the start of the season, it was really only Andrew Wiggins and Jordan Poole following Curry offensively. Thus, the season he is having and the impact on the Warriors is made even more impressive. It is tough to really picture the Warriors without Curry and his offensive magic, so he is really the biggest part of their push for title contention.
Historic defense
However, it is never only about one player. The Warriors are witnesses to another Steph Curry masterclass, but there is a lot of behind-the-scenes stuff going on, and it is mainly concerned about their defense. The Dubs use their historic defense to put Curry in the best possible position to dominate on the other end of the floor. It is team defense, but there is only one anchor – Draymond Green.
When Green's numbers are considered, not a lot of people would put him as an All-Star. He averages 8.1 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 7.8 assists. He shoots a good percentage from the field at 53.7%, but only on six attempts. These numbers are not very impressive, but that is where the eye test comes in. When the Warriors play, it is Green that really leads the team on both sides of the floor. He tells guys where to be, when to rotate, how to cover some plays, and his basketball IQ is comparable with LeBron James'. He is also a fairly dirty player, which is well documented, but the way he can anchor a defense and lead the team is simply inconceivable.
As said in the beginning however, it is never only about one player. This is really a team effort, as the Warriors are posting some incredible statistical measurements defensively. They are first in defensive rating, first in least points allowed, and first in opponent field goal percentage. They allow the least assists against them, allow the second-least blocks against them, and allow the second-least rebounds as well. Their opponents score the least amount of field goals, and the Warriors allow the second-least field goal attempts. When it comes to three-point shooting, it is a bit different, but their opponents shoot the third-worst three-point percentage in the league.
All of these factors, both Steph Curry and their amazing defense, amount to a real comeback of the Warriors. They started their journey with an incredible title in 2015 and probably the best finals in the history of the NBA in 2016, then added Kevin Durant and won two more chips, just for injuries to stop them in 2019 from three-peating. Now, the Warriors are back and they are doing it exactly how they did it before – Steph scores in bunches, while Green keeps the defense ticking.
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