Juggernaut By The Bay

Golden State is 6-1 on the young season, and continues to lean on its defensive prowess to win games, with the whole squad buying in.

The Dubs last played on Wednesday, November 3rd against the solid Charlotte Hornets, in what was a close game at halftime with the Warriors leading by 1. Steph Curry wasn't having a particularly good game, even by the standards of a normal player. In other words, it wasn't like when he said he played like trash on opening night; he still recorded a triple-double that night to lead his team to victory. Rather, he struggled mightily early on, and got some rest on the bench while his splash friend, not brother, Jordan Poole, lit up the scoreboard. Golden State's starting two guard in Klay Thompson's absence has been an x-factor all season, and he finished the half with 22 points, most of which coming from three-point range.

Poole has stepped up in a big way this season on the offensive end, and has proven he is a reliable go-to guy when Curry, who only had 5 points at half, is not on his game. Warriors fans know this, though. Jordan Poole was highly regarded in college when he played for Michigan and had offensive outbursts on many occasions last season, especially as the season drew to a close. While he has been a catalyst on offense, especially from beyond the arc, studying sharpshooters like Duncan Robinson, another Wolverine alum, he hasn't been the only big story for the Warriors' success in this young season.

The Dubs have prided themselves on the defensive end this year, reenacting a big part of their late season push last year, when they were a highly efficient defensive squad. Golden State is top five in the NBA in both Defensive Field Goals Made and Defensive Field Goal Percentage.

On a more advanced note, they also find themselves at #5 in the NBA in FG% Differential (their efficiency on offense versus their opponent's efficiency) and #1 in 3-Point FG% Differential. They lead the latter by a large margin, as their +7.9% 3-Point FG% distally leads the second best squad's (Utah) mark of +6.6%.

While they have been a mess in regards to turnovers, their team defense has certainly made up for it, and in their most recent game against Charlotte, the Dubs recorded 14 steals, with 4 from Jordan Poole and 3 from defensive specialist Gary Payton II, who is doing a great job of living up to his name.

Payton bounced between the NBA and G-League the last couple years, and is a prime example of why the Warriors have been so good this season, despite not having key players in Klay Thompson and James Wiseman. Steve Kerr has a rotation of guys he trusts on the defensive end, and the role players all buy into his system, contributing mightily on both ends of the floor.

On a night in which Steph Curry only tallied 15 points, the second and third stringers picked him up, not only giving their all on defense, but taking it into their own hands to score the basketball. It's a different player every night, whether it's Bjelica or Damion Lee or the aforementioned Gary Payton II, the roster is comprised of straight up ballers, who most importantly proved that there is evident chemistry within this nucleus of not only the team's core, but its surrounding pieces.

The Pacific Division could very well be running through Golden State this year, as they've already remained undefeated against their three California rivals this year, and the envelope should not be pushed on the Lakers or Suns being the superior team. As of right now, the Warriors own that feat going away.

Klay Thompson is expected to make his return around Christmas, and James Wiseman is being cleared for contact soon. If they're already looking this impressive, expect it to bloom into something even more special as the new year approaches.

For a team that had one of the most incredible five-year runs in sports history, the past two seasons have been tough on the team from The Bay. Golden State rebounded from their playoff hiatus quite nicely to begin this 2021-22 campaign, and a toughening schedule will test the waters for what we can expect moving forward.