This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2014, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
The Golden State Warriors are one of the most intriguing stories of the NBA season so far.
We knew they would be good, heading into the year. They were a sixth seed last season. They were vastly improved defensively under Mark Jackson. They gave the Los Angeles Clippers all they wanted in the first round of the playoffs. In other words, they were like many recent Golden State teams that have made the postseason: Fun to watch offensively, fun to watch in the playoffs because of a great home court atmosphere, but not quite good enough on the interior to beat the better teams of the Western Conference.
So check this out: GSW is 20-2 on the season, and looking like the best team in the league. And it looks like it's not a fluke. Mark Jackson is gone, fired. This is what happens when you can't get along with the team owner. In his place is Steve Kerr, another eloquent and funny broadcaster taking his turn on the sidelines. Yes, he has inherited a good team, a team ready to win. But nobody expected this.
We didn't expect Steph Curry to be a leading MVP candidate. Yes, we knew he was good, even potentially great. But beyond the jumper this year, he's been the best point guard in the league. Remember in the summer when Klay Thompson was seemingly included in every trade package pertaining to Kevin Love? Well, the Warriors emphatically said they wouldn't part ways with the shooting guard, and that looks like maybe the smartest move of the off-season.
But you have to credit Kerr for a few things: One, he placed Harrison Barnes in the starting lineup, and made Andre Iguodala his sixth man. The move has worked for both. It's given Barnes his confidence back. It's made Iggy more dangerous, with his usage in the second unit increasing. Kerr has run offense through Andrew Bogut, making use of his elite big man passing skills. And Kerr has given Draymond Green the platform to grow and excel. When he came into the league, Green was seen as little more than a tweener. Now, he's the very definition of a stretch power forward, and is a huge mismatch playing with the splash brothers. He's gonna get PAAAAAIIIIIDDDDD this summer in free agency. In fact, this blog wouldn't be surprised to see the Utah Jazz try and get in on the sweepstakes. He would fit perfectly into Quin Snyder's offense.
Right now, Golden State has to be looked upon as a legitimate title threat. Yes, the game slows down in the playoffs. Yes, the West is ridiculously good, we all know that. But the Warriors are statistically one of the best defensive teams in the league. And the scary part is they've done all of this without David Lee. And guess what? Green has been so good that it's going to be difficult to ask him to take a seat on the bench.
Yes, the Warriors have been quite the story so far.
—Tony Jones