The Golden State Warriors are off to a pretty good start. They're 13-2 and in possession of the one seed in the Western Conference. Yeah, Stephen Curry running the show is intimidating as is for opposing defenses, but the most dangerous part of this Warriors' team is that they're playing with house money.
Let's begin with Curry. This is a player who already has three NBA championships and two league MVPs on his resume. If Curry retires tomorrow, he's a First Ballot Hall of Famer. He's 33 and playing as well as ever.
Curry entered the Warriors' Friday night matchup with the Detroit Pistons averaging 29.5 points, 6.5 assists, 6.1 rebounds and 1.7 steals per game while shooting 41.9 percent from beyond the arc. All the while, he's doing this alongside a young roster devoid of familiar faces and established stars. That's in reference to Kevin Durant being long gone, as well as Klay Thompson and James Wiseman yet to play this season due to injuries.
Then there's the Warriors' roster, a well-oiled machine that's yet to reach its full potential. Yes, this is the same team that has won 13 of its first 15 and resides in the Western Conference.
As for the veterans, the Warriors have reliable players with varying skill sets. Andrew Wiggins has come into his own from an impact standpoint with the Warriors, as he's effectively creating offense on his own and serving as a legitimate scoring option alongside Curry. Draymond Green is the rock of the rotation, hitting the boards, finding the open man, stretching the floor and playing tight defense.
Kevon Looney is a sturdy inside player on both ends of the floor. Nemanja Bjelica is an outside sniper. Otto Porter Jr. is a proven “three-and-d” player. Andre Iguodala is a veteran defender.
Jordan Poole has continually improved to the point where he's now a vital source of offense for head coach Steve Kerr; he entered Friday averaging 16.5 points per game this season. Damion Lee has been instant offense off the bench. Gary Payton II has been an athletic spark plug.
Rookie lottery selections Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody have minor rotation roles. At the same time, they're compelling wing/perimeter prospects given Kuminga's ability to get inside off the dribble and Moody's shooting tendencies. The ages of the aforementioned players are 22, 29, 28, 19 and 19. Most, if not all of these players can only improve.
One figures Golden State gets Thompson, one of the elite shooters in NBA history, and Wiseman, a budding inside force and the No. 2 pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, back within the next two months.
The Warriors have nothing to lose.
Think about all the teams in the West alone that are up against the clock or trying to finally break through and win a championship with their long-standing core. Teams like the Utah Jazz, Denver Nuggets and Los Angeles Clippers are trying to represent the West. The Portland Trail Blazers are in a holding pattern with Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum. Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks are trying to get past the first round of the playoffs.
The Phoenix Suns are attempting to get back to the NBA Finals after blowing a 2-0 lead to the Milwaukee Bucks. What are the Warriors doing? They're leading the West without two-thirds of their presumed starting five while being led by a point guard and head coach who have already won three championships together.
Golden State entered Friday first in the NBA in points per game (114.5) and field goal percentage (47.4 percent) and eighth in three-point shooting percentage (35.5 percent). They were also first in the NBA in opponent field goal percentage (42.3 percent), second in opponent points per game (100.8) and fifth in opponent three-point shooting percentage (31.5 percent). It's laughable.
While the 2021-22 Warriors were surely going to be a team that could go to the NBA Playoffs and do damage, the overwhelming competition in the West wasn't supposed to let them downright dominate. Yet, they are.
It's all fun and games for the Warriors. Literally, it's just a game for them right now. Their core players have been there, done that, the newbies are blossoming on a team that has returned to being a contender and the roster is deep.
The nature of the situation can instill confidence and drive for the Warriors. It can give players the mentality that they'll have success being the aggressor and forcing the issue at the rim, rather than being safe and settling for jump shots. Golden State is letting it fly, and no one is doing anything to stop it.
What's the worst thing that can happen to the Warriors this season: they lose in the first round? They're built to improve, especially given the youth they've accumulated over the last two years, as it can offset any regression some of their veterans endure in the coming years.
The Warriors have further complicated any contender's championship aspirations. They're as good as the field and playing elite-level basketball with a smile on their face.
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