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The Golden State Warriors have consistently beat inferior opponents

By Nathan Beighle

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 18: Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors reacts to his three pointer during a 115-113 Warriors win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Martin Luther King Jr. Day at Staples Center on January 18, 2021 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2021 NBAE (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 18: Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors reacts to his three pointer during a 115-113 Warriors win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Martin Luther King Jr. Day at Staples Center on January 18, 2021 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2021 NBAE (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /
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In the last few weeks, the Golden State Warriors have lost to the Phoenix Suns and Utah Jazz, but thankfully, they’ve continued to beat inferior opponents.

The Golden State Warriors have struggled against some up-and-coming, top-tier teams in the Western Conference like Phoenix and Utah, but they’ve stayed in playoff contention because they’ve consistently taken down opponents that they should beat.

It seems simple, but oftentimes the difference between a playoff-making team and one that misses the postseason is how you handle the games that you’re supposed to win. This season, the Warriors have downed the opponents in most of the games in which they’ve been favored in.

Just recently, the Warriors absolutely blew out the Detroit Pistons. A strong effort from Jordan Poole and suffocating defense helped the Warriors down one of the worst teams in the East by 27.

The Warriors have just one bad loss this season, and that is to the New York Knicks, a team that has oddly been able to somehow continue as a playoff-contending team.

Aside from the Knicks, the Warriors have lost to the Pacers, Nets, Bucks, Jass, Suns, Pacers, Nuggets, Clippers, and Blazers. It may be easy to say that the Blazers are a bad loss, but any team with Damian Lillard is a team that stands a chance to beat the best of the best.

For Golden State, their record has blossomed to 11-9.

Through their first 20 games, the Warriors had the toughest schedule in the NBA. With games against the Bucks, Nets, Lakers, Jazz, Suns, and two against the Clippers, the Warriors have been challenged often.

But, for the sake of the point, they’ve hung in most of those games.

They beat a Lakers team that was at full strength, and aside from the two games to start the season against the Bucks and Nets in which they didn’t have three-time All-Star Draymond Green, the Warriors have rarely lost by double figures or looked overly sloppy in games.

They’ve been able to thrive on the back of Stephen Curry, who is averaging over 27 points per game. Andrew Wiggins has also stepped up in a big way and is the team’s second-leading scorer and surprisingly averages more blocks per game than 7-foot-1 center James Wiseman.

If this team can get consistent efforts from Kelly Oubre Jr. and Wiseman, they may be able to contend with the best in the West, and that’s all a team with their second-best player sidelined can ask for.

Next. Top 30 Golden State Warriors players in franchise history. dark

Golden State has impressed this season, and as long as they continue to beat the team they should, we should see them playing in April after that horrific one-year exodus from the postseason.

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