The Golden State Warriors have drawn plaudits for their elite defense so far this season, having ranked fourth on that end in what's helped the franchise to a surprising and impressive 10-2 record ahead of Monday's meeting with the L.A Clippers.
Yet while the defense has proven key to a number of victories, it's arguably the offense that's been even more surprising this season. Despite the absence of a second star, and their lone superstar Stephen Curry having missed three games, the Warriors also find themselves ranked fourth in offensive rating.
Golden State have so far turned around one previously huge issue
So why have Golden State been so efficient on the offensive end? Their depth is a major factor as no less than nine players have averaged at least eight points per game, headed by Curry's 22.7 and Buddy Hield's 17.7.
But as a team the Warriors have so far turned around an issue that's often haunted them in the Steve Kerr era -- turnovers. Golden State's high ball and player movement under Kerr has led to much success, yet it's also been their downfall on countless individual occasions.
Kerr's offensive system is never going to lead the Warriors into being an elite team when it comes to not turning the ball over. However, so far this season they've made it far more manageable than what we've seen in the past.
Golden State currently ranks 14th in turnovers per game -- around league average which may not scream anything special. But if you compare it to being ranked 23rd last season and 30th (dead last!) in 2022-23, then it certainly is a notable achievement.
The Warriors are 12th in turnover percentage, having ranked 22nd and 29th in each of the last two seasons. They're also sixth in assist-to-turnover ratio, up from 11th and 13th in the past two years. Those are numbers that are playing an incredibly crucial role in the Golden State offense, with credit sure to go towards new assistant coach Terry Stotts and a revitalized Kerr.
There's no surprise that the Warriors' two losses have come when turnovers were an issue. They had 21 against the L.A. Clippers late last month and 17 against the Cleveland Cavaliers -- both well above their season average of 14.3.
Can Golden State's ball security be sustained? If it does then that could go along way in their chances of securing a playoff spot and developing further into a legitimate Western Conference threat.