Golden State Warriors: So far, so good

November 16, 2014; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson (11) moves to the basket ahead of Los Angeles Lakers forward

(5) during the first half at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

1. Can Klay Thompson step up as a playmaker?

One of the biggest criticisms when Thompson signed the max contract was that he was nothing more than just a glorified 3-and-D player. While reducing Thompson to such a role is an oversimplification of what he brings to the team, the argument had its merits. Thompson was often ridiculed for not being able to make layups or create driving opportunities in his earlier seasons.

But, much like everything else, it seems like Kerr has a solution to this problem.

I’m not sure what it is – maybe it’s the extra confidence boost, maybe it’s the upcoming $17 million paycheck waiting for him, but Klay has been very aggressive when he needs to in the recent games. He has been willing to drive into the paint, and even posterized Robin Lopez in a crucial moment of the game against the Portland Trail Blazers (prior to the dunk, he went through a cold shooting streak).

His newfound aggression is an improvement to his passive play from seasons past, especially if his outside shot isn’t falling. We still haven’t seen much of Thompson running the ball in the pick-and-roll or initiating sets – that duty falls mainly to Bogut and Curry.

However, Kerr has been including Thompson as the sole starter in some bench-only units, presumably to avoid hockey-style rotations with the team. But even then, Leandro Barbosa and Shaun Livingston are the primary ball-handlers of the unit.

That said, it feels good knowing that the Warriors have such great depth in their roster.