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Warriors ‘couldn’t have asked for more’ with hot start to NBA season

Harry November 8, 2024

WASHINGTON— Golden State Warriors Forward Kevon Looney wasn’t sure he could win a game like the Warriors did on Saturday, in overtime, on the road against the up-and-coming Houston Rockets, and without Steph Curry in the lineup.

“The ball didn’t come out of our court. We didn’t execute at times. We had mental lapses. “We could get a stupid foul and the momentum could work against us,” Looney said of the seasons since Golden State won the championship in 2022. “Last year was probably the last. We never got it under control in two years. “But (against Houston) things didn’t go our way… but we were still able to keep our composure and come out and close it out in overtime.”

The Warriors are 7-1 and on a five-game winning streak in their first season without Klay Thompson since he was drafted in 2011; That includes three wins without Curry.

Now, the program is not very difficult. Their only two wins have been against teams with a winning record, but the Warriors beat Boston 118-112 on the road on Wednesday and have two more road tests next: 9-0 in Cleveland on Friday and 7-1 in Oklahoma City on Sunday. .

Warriors coach Steve Kerr reminded four reporters after a team practice at Georgetown University on Sunday that Golden State started last season 5-1 and was 9-10 by the end of November.

“It’s a great start,” Kerr said. “I couldn’t ask for more, but we need to understand that we started off off to the same start last year and so it’s a long year and you’ve got to continue to identify areas of need, weaknesses and anything you need to brush up on and then continue to uncover the identity.

“The big thing right now is that our identity has to be a scrappy, defensive-minded team, and I think we’re much more capable of being that team this year than we were last year. Last year was a different team, and this year it’s going to be defensively disruptive and feisty, playing with a lot of players and playing with a lot of players.” “He’s built to play with a lot of energy and I’m pleased with what I’ve seen so far but we’ve got some very tough games ahead of us.”

Minus Thompson, but still with Curry and Draymond Green, this is a different iteration of the Warriors. They didn’t attract Paul George in free agency, but they did sign De’Anthony Melton and acquired Buddy Hield and Kyle Anderson.

The Warriors are producing at the start of the season with the league’s No. 3 offense (119.3 points per 100 possessions) and No. 2 defense (103.8 points per 100 possessions). This equates to a #1 net rating of plus-15.5.

Golden State also:

Third in assists (29.4 per game)
No. 5 in steals (9.3 per game)
We’re tied for fourth in blocks (6.3 per game).
No. 1 in rebounding (49.5 per game, including No. 3 in offensive rebounds and a tie for sixth in offensive rebounds)
No. 2 in fast break points (9.0 per game)

It is done by the committee. Over the course of eight games, Kerr allowed 13 players to play at least 12.7 minutes per game, and no player played more than 28.1 minutes per game. Some of this is due to injuries, but Kerr is dropping deeper into his squad every game.

In the win against Boston, 11 players played at least 13:26. Curry had 27 points, 9 assists, 7 rebounds, 4 steals and a block, and Hield scored 16 points on 4-of-7 shooting from 3-point range, increasing his 3-point percentage to 51.7% on 9.1 shots per game.

The Warriors are no strangers to depth. The teams that won the championship in 2015, 2017 and 2018 had the slogan “Strength in Numbers”.

“I always liked playing on the bench, probably because I was playing on the bench, and when I started playing, I appreciated that,” Kerr said. “But I think the philosophy we’ve had here for a long time has been very helpful in terms of team chemistry and energy. Strength in numbers, I know it’s a cliché, but it’s something we really focus on. It helps you get through the 82 games (regular season games) that a lot of people play. It helps you in moments like that when Steph is out there and you can win a few games in a row, and if you develop (and) grow him, the depth can really be to your advantage.

“But at the same time, you want to have some separation so that you know who your final lineup is every game and who you’re going to go to.”

Against Boston, the Warriors closed out the game with Curry, Green, Looney, Hield and Andrew Wiggins scoring over the final 6:19 to defeat the Celtics, 30-17.

The Warriors were 46-36 last season and that only allowed 10 points.^he They were in the West and lost to Sacramento in the play-in game. Even though they couldn’t get Paul George and couldn’t get Lauri Markkanen from Utah (and it’s no secret they’re keeping a watchful eye on Giannis Antetokounmpo around the league), the Warriors are happy with what they have this season.

Is being among the top six teams in a loaded West good enough? The Warriors have enough talent, depth and championship history to believe that.

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