With a 12-4 record, the Golden State Warriors are the best team in the Western Conference and one of the best on both sides of the ball in the NBA.
The Warriors have lost to the Los Angeles Clippers (twice), the Cleveland Cavaliers, and the San Antonio Spurs, but they have also won big against the Houston Rockets, Boston Celtics, Oklahoma City Thunder, and Dallas Mavericks.
At the outset of the season, the Dubs’ hot start was viewed as fleeting, with the expectation that it would soon fade. However, the success model appears to be sustainable.
Steve Kerr has made it a habit to play all 12 players for extended periods of time in every single game. Initially scoffed at, the Warriors’ insane depth has propelled them to one of the best records in the league, and now they are legitimate title threats.
One executive-turned-analyst thinks the Warriors have a pretty clear path to the NBA Finals, with only one team posing any sort of threat.
“We can talk about a team that I mentioned as my Finals favorite in the West, that’s Oklahoma City,” said former Warriors’ GM Bob Myers on ESPN.
“I still think they’re going to be hard to get around but that’s the only team. That’s the only one I see as an obstacle for the Warriors right now.”
On Nov. 10, the Warriors beat the Thunder 127-116. Stephen Curry scored 36 points in that matchup, and the Thunder’s best player, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, only scored 24 on 6-17 shooting.
With a small sample size, it looks like even the Thunder have to chase the Warriors, who have seemed to turn back the clock.