3 Hidden Bright Spots for the Golden State Warriors so Far
The Golden State Warriors reached astonishing heights last season, setting lofty expectations for their title defense in the process. Off to an unbeaten 22-0 start, the Dubs are already eclipsing the demands.
Finding bright spots in the defending champions' season isn't a difficult task—it's filled with golden nuggets. The Warriors have even the harshest critics shrugging their shoulders when asked to engage in an act of fault-finding.
Every Golden State game has become not only the purest form basketball entertainment, but also a chance to witness something monumental. The streaking Warriors are already in the history books for the best start to a season by a professional sports team as they continue to casually pad their own records.
Although there have been close calls, no opponent has managed to crack the code. Stephen Curry is having a historic year, illuminating everyone and everything in his vicinity. Whenever the going gets tough, the reigning MVP inevitably drills an absurd shot, leaving the opposition stunned and disgruntled.
While Curry is rightfully being showered with praise, there are other positives that shouldn't go unnoticed.
Point Differential
Golden State went 67-15 last season, shattering its previous franchise record of 59 victories set in 1975-76. It did so with relative ease, which is reflected in the 10.1 point differential. It's difficult to improve upon that impressive figure, but the Warriors continue to outdo themselves.
In their 22 wins so far, the Warriors are beating their challengers by 14.8 points per game. If sustained, that would be the highest margin of victory for a team in NBA history. Advanced metrics reveal even more impressive figures, as Golden State outscores opponents by 16.5 points per 100 possessions, according to NBA.com. That number dwarfs the 11.4 net rating of last year.
The fact the Warriors are crushing opponents instead of grinding out gutsy victories is crucial. The ultimate goal is to win a championship, but it's only natural for priorities to get a little hazy considering the circumstances.
Having gone over a quarter of a season undefeated, the Warriors have their minds set on the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls' seemingly unbreakable 72-10 regular-season run. There is a long way to go, but even the Dubs themselves can no longer deflect the talk, no matter how much they try to downplay the opportunity at hand.
With media driving the narrative, Golden State players have been compelled to admit the 72-win mark is on their minds. Curry had the following to say, according to Diamond Leung of the San Jose Mercury News:
""We know how hard it was to win 67," Curry said. "You feel like, what games did you give along the way? But we're off to a better start than we were last year, and I think we have talked about we're a better team, so a lot goes into that. That would be nice to hit (72 wins) and something that we would be very proud of obviously. It's still more to the formula of winning a championship. We want to be at the best we can be, and if that's 72, 73 wins, then so be it."
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When the Miami Heat went on a 27-game winning streak during the 2012-13 season, they sacrificed a lot of unnecessary energy. Even though they still won the championship that year, they did so only by a hair, and there were a lot of tired legs on the court throughout the postseason run.
Regular-season wins should not come at the expense of health, and right now they aren't thanks to Golden State's dominant play. Curry is playing just 34.3 minutes per game, which ranks him 29th in the league. Because most games aren't close, the starters get to rest in fourth quarters.
The Warriors are happily getting the best of both worlds—they are enjoying regular-season success without sacrificing players' bodies.
Improved Shot Selection
The Warriors played close to perfect last season, and the fact they've advanced even further in terms of ball movement and shot selection is incredible. Take a look at this chart:
| FGM Assisted% | FGM Unassisted% | %PTS 3PT | %PTS 2PT-MR | |
| 2014-15 | 65.9 | 34.1 | 29.4 | 14.9 |
| 2015-16 | 68.5 | 31.5 | 35.2 | 12.5 |
The improvement from last year may be subtle, but Golden State assists on even more field goals and generates a significantly higher share of its points from beyond the arc.
Teams have been reluctant to rely entirely on three-pointers in the past, but the Warriors produce efficient wide-open looks through the pick-and-roll. Golden State is defining contemporary basketball as it continues to move away from stagnant sets in favor of a free-flowing motion offense.
The Warriors used to have tunnel-vision on post-up mismatches, and certain players, especially Harrison Barnes, had a tendency to jack up mediocre pull-up jumpers. Those are almost entirely eliminated now, as more offensive possessions feature crisp ball movement, efficient cutting and unselfish play in general.
The fact Golden State is assisting on more baskets than last year, despite the MVP's efficient chucking—Curry is taking a lot of off-the-dribble jumpers, both in transition and in half court—is a testament to how well the offense flows on alternative possessions.
Andre Iguodala's Play
Andre Iguodala played his best basketball in last season's playoffs, making huge shots and defending out of his mind on the way to an NBA Finals MVP trophy. Despite being so reliant on athleticism for most of his career, the 31-year-old has aged gracefully.
Curry and Draymond Green have fueled Golden State as its two key cogs this season, but Iguodala has quietly been the third-best player with Klay Thompson slow out of the gate.
On a roster containing an almost unfair amount of brilliant passers, Iguodala is one of the finest. He doesn't get to dominate many possessions, but he's the Warriors' second-best playmaker off the dribble. That allows Curry and Thompson to play without the ball more, and Iggy is excellent at hitting them with pocket passes:
When Thompson or Barnes run pick-and-rolls, they are generally looking for their own shot. Iguodala is the polar opposite—he finishes just 3.6 percent of his offensive possessions as the pick-and-roll ball-handler, per NBA.com's Synergy stats.
He is explosive enough to warrant attention when driving, but his eyes are often scouting for Golden State's shooters who are darting around screens. Iguodala's value as a secondary ball-handler is indispensable. He sees the floor exceptionally well, distributes touch passes around the perimeter and delivers flashy dimes in transition.
He can back down smaller guards and whip cross-court bullets to open teammates on the weak side. Despite being mostly a spot-up shooter, Iguodala is third in practically every advanced passing metric for the Warriors, according to NBA.com's player tracking stats.
The Cleveland Cavaliers—and practically every team this season—conceded open looks to Iguodala when defending the Curry-Green pick-and-roll in last year's NBA Finals. He is theoretically the weakest perimeter threat, which is why his designated defender steps into the lane to tag the bulldozing Green. Iguodala burned the Cavs, and he has done the same to everyone else this season, shooting a blistering 44.1 percent from beyond the arc.
The fact Iguodala also remains the Warriors' best perimeter defender and isn't showing signs of slowing down is a bright spot indeed.
All statistics are courtesy of NBA.com, unless otherwise noted.
You can follow me on Twitter: @VytisLasaitis
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