Just like that, the Golden State Warriors are 20-0 without breaking a sweat in the loaded Western Conference. To be fair, though, the West is kind of looking underwhelming this year, but Golden State still deserves immense credit for their accomplishment. No other team in NBA history has done that. Not the 1996's Bulls, the 1986's Celtics, or the 1972's Lakers. To take it even further, not even any team in major sports history has accomplished that feat.
The Golden State Warriors are a team the likes of something this world has never seen. The team is aglow with potential. Aglow with the knowledge that they have the ability to unleash stretches of transcendent action from within. And with them clicking on all levels, it really doesn't matter who they are playing. They are action incarnate. They are perfection unfolding in real time. They are the pilgrim striving for the mountaintop, finding the path and joyfully climbing upwards.
Stephen Curry is playing out of his mind, and guys like Klay Thompson and Draymond Green are also playing well. The roster has a deep number of very serviceable big men, including Andrew Bogut, Marreese Speights, and the emergence of Festuts Ezeli. Harrison Barnes is putting up four more points a game than last season, and Andre Iguodala continues to be a solid presence on the team.
I'll be telling my grandkids about this stretch of games no matter what happens for the rest of this season. This is coming from a die-hard Houston Rockets fan who still is upset because of the loss they took to the Warriors last year.
Provided they stay relatively healthy, I think that this team will continue its league-leading pace of 114 points per game. The Warriors are a bit worse on defense, ranked 13th in the league and allowing almost 100 points per game, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the team’s defense improved to allowing only 97 points per game. I think as the season goes on, the Warriors defense will only get better.
This might not have any statistical backing, but I have to assume that most teams give more defensive effort when they are having fun and success on the offensive side of basketball. And rest assured, the Warriors are going to continue to have a lot more offensive success this season.
It's too early to compare them to the 96' Bulls, but at the rate the Warriors are going, they will be in the conversation pretty soon. I don’t think that the 96’ Bulls were invincible, and I think that this Warriors team has the talent and depth to win 72 games or even more.
