The Golden State Warriors are off to a flying start, exceeding all expectations to jump out to an 8-2 record that's included two massive road wins over the Boston Celtics and Oklahoma City Thunder across the past three games.
The latest NBA.com power rankings have the Warriors second in the entire league only behind the unbeaten Cleveland Cavaliers. That's a wild rise from their 14th-place standing prior to the season as Golden State prove themselves one of the biggest surprises so far.
Storylines emerging from Warriors season to date
So how exactly have the Warriors got to this point? Let's have a look at five of the biggest storylines surrounding the franchise that have emerged in the first month of the season.
1. Warriors have the best depth in the league
No other team is going to a 12-man rotation when fully healthy, with that perfectly signifying the depth on the Warrior roster. Steve Kerr can't justify sitting any player, and even Golden State's 13th guy on the roster, Lindy Waters III, has a 21-point game where he led the team to victory against the New Orleans Pelicans.
The Warriors have eight players averaging at least 8.5 points per game right now. 13 players are averaging at least 12.3 minutes per game, with no player see more than 28.3 minutes per game at present.
2. Golden State's defense has been reinvigorated
With a revitalized Draymond Green, the addition of former All-Star Jerry Stackhouse to the coaching staff, and a couple of smart offseason acquisitions, Golden State have been elite on the defensive side of the floor to start the season. The Warriors rank second in defensive rating, only behind the team the Thunder, Orlando Magic and Houston Rockets.
3. The Warriors seem to have unlocked Buddy Hield
With Golden State having lost Klay Thompson during the offseason, Buddy Hield has stepped right into filling the void of high-volume three-point shooting. In his ninth NBA season, Hield is averaging easily the most three-point attempts per 36 minutes of his career, with the 31-year-old holding a very specific role off the bench.
Hield is currently averaging 18 points on 48.8% three-point shooting, with the veteran sharpshooter making a strong early case for the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year award.
4. Jonathan Kuminga's role
While Golden State's depth has been a major positive for them, it has left Jonathan Kuminga in an awkward spot as he tries to blossom into the star he wants to be. The 22-year-old has played very well since being demoted to the bench ahead of the fourth game of the season, yet it still leaves serious question marks on his short and long-term role with the franchise as he prepares to be a restricted free agent next offseason.
5. To trade or not to trade?
The Warriors have depth, young players, almost all their draft assets and an appetite to trade for a star if the offseason is any indication where they tried to land both Paul George and Lauri Markkanen.
Do Golden State end up making a 3-of-1 or 4-for-1 trade? The chances of that obviously hinges on who becomes available and at what cost, with Giannis Antetokoumpo clearly the dream if Milwaukee's slow start continues and the 2x MVP asks out.