Welcome to another Warriors Weekly after a particularly eventful seven days.
The Week that Was:
It may be hard to remember that the Warriors had three games other than the win against the Clippers this week but there is nowhere better to start. In their second serious in-game challenge of the season (both against the Clippers, interestingly enough), the Dubs had to overcome a 23-point first half deficit and ended up winning by seven at Staples Center.
Tuesday’s win over the Raptors has been lost in the shuffle a little but Toronto had the ball down one with 25 seconds to go before Kyle Lowry’s illegal screen swung momentum back to the Warriors.
The other two games were a little more standard: a pretty comfortable 12 point victory over the Bulls at Oracle and the record-tying win in Denver.
Stephen Curry was the star of the week again with 37 points against the Raptors and 40 against the Bulls. In 15 games, Curry has led both teams in scoring 12 times, with one of the exceptions coming on Sunday when he finished two behind Darrell Arthur and Klay despite not playing in the fourth quarter.
Stephen Curry Above the Break Three Update: Stephen Curry has made 64 above the break three pointers this year, more than seven teams. His 44.8% shooting from there is better than all but two teams from mid-range (Warriors and Blazers) and four teams in the paint (non-restricted area). Note: That is straight shooting percentage, not accounting for the fact that threes are worth more.
Stephen Curry (30) celebrates with guard Klay Thompson (11) during the second quarter against the Toronto Raptors at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
The Soapbox: 15-0
While Warriors fans would justifiably be crushed with anything short of holding the record solo at this point given the present context, I wanted to use this space to note that what the team has accomplished already is truly remarkable.
Only five teams in NBA history (the Washington Capitols played in the BAA, the precursor to the NBA) had ever started a season 12-0 before now and each of those five came closer behind league expansion than this Golden State team. The Warriors have already tied this record in a period of remarkable depth in the league both due to the lack of expansion and increased longevity. Less than one-fifth of the way through the season, the Dubs already have a three game lead on the rest of the league in the loss column.
More than that, the Warriors are continuing to knock most opponents out. While November has not been as dominant as some expected, Golden State is still outscoring opponents by 14.4 points per game, ahead of their 10.1 average margin in the 2014-15 regular season. That number is padded a little bit by the 50-point Memphis demolition but it is impressive all the same.
To me, the most amazing part of the 15-0 start is how little drama was involved. Thursday’s game against the Clippers was insane but other than that they have kept in clean. The Dubs were favored in every single game so far and have taken care of business. Heck, their best lineup has only played 56 minutes together this season! (and is outscoring opponents by a mind-blowing 70.8 points per 100 possessions)
No team in a decade has even started a season 12-0 and this squad stands out by achieving it with so little late-game intrigue.
After all, it took 53 games for Stephen Curry to notch his fifteenth NBA win.
Stephen Curry (30) moves the ball ahead of Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant (24) during the first half at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
The Week to Come:
Beyond Tuesday’s potentially historic game at Oracle against the Lakers, the Warriors have a pretty strange schedule. They have two full days off and travel to Phoenix for the front end of a back-to-back that ends Saturday against the Kings in Oakland. That will be their last home game until December 16th.
At this point, would predicting anything other than an undefeated week be wise? 3-0.