The Golden State Warriors have kicked the season off to a terrific 2-0 despite showing some flaws in their early-season sweeping of the teams in Los Angeles.
They beat the Lakers after being down most of the game and barely beat the Clippers after being up 19 in the first half. The Warriors were not expected to be true Finals contenders this season, but it’s looking more and more likely that they could be the team to beat.
The Golden State Warriors took down the Lakers and Clippers, and with an easy schedule over the next two weeks, the Dubs should stay unbeaten for a while.
If the Golden State Warriors can keep this level of play up, having taken down the Clippers by 2 and the Lakers by 7, they should be able to easily take down teams like the Kings and Thunder, their next two opponents.
The Warriors have been led by two-time MVP Stephen Curry. Curry put 8 threes and 45 points against the Clippers which followed up a rare triple-double for the star guard in the season opener. He’s been the catalyst.
However, it’s been far more than just Curry. Offseason additions like Andre Iguodala and Nemanja Bjelica have helped stronghold the bench and even contributed big-time minutes down the stretch of games.
Golden State looking fantastic to kick the season off should give hope that they can start on fire. There won’t be any excuse for losing to the Kings, Thunder, Grizzlies, Thunder, or Hornets, the Warriors next five games.
The Grizzlies will be the most difficult challenge with the Kings also having started the season on fire, losing by single digits to the Jazz and beating the Blazers in Portland. Nonetheless, no team has the early-season achievements that Golden State has, taking down the Clips and Lakers.
The Warriors have the perfect mix of size, shooting and leadership. It’s not about climbing back into contention this season, but ultimately proving that they’re going to be the team to beat in the Western Conference.
If they can kick the season off with seven straight wins, they’ll be put on every team’s radar as a top contender, something most didn’t consider them to be in the preseason.
That said, with the Pelicans, Rockets, and Hawks for games 8-10, kicking the season off 10-0 isn’t too crazy to foresee.