The Warriors reached the quarter-season mark after playing their 18th game. We decided it would be a good time to track how they are performing versus expectations.
This has been a trying season for the Warriors; first, they lose Klay Thompson, then Draymond Green misses the first four games. To make matters worse, the Warriors had played one of the toughest schedules in the NBA that started with six of their first seven games on the road.
But with all that working against them, they somehow have managed to go 10-8. This is why I am giving them a grade of “B+“. Let’s review why they have earned that grade and what they need to do for the remainder of the season.
Win total: A
Most of the oddsmakers had the Warriors being a .500 team, winning somewhere between 36-39 games this season. While they are on pace to meet that expectation, the oddsmakers only had them winning 7 games with a point differential of -2.23.
This means the Warriors exceeded expectations by winning 10 games and having a net rating of -0.69. Golden State has been able to do that because of two reasons, Steph Curry and good defense.