The defending world champion Golden State Warriors are already looking better this year than last and are on a record setting pace so far in the early 2015-2016 NBA season. Golden State is undefeated, currently standing atop of the league at 14-0 and running teams out of the gym in all types of fashion. This Golden State team is an extremely special group of guys and they are destined to try and eclipse the all time greatest regular season of 72-10 by the Chicago Bulls in 1995-96 that was led by Michael Jordan.
Last year’s league MVP Stephen Curry is taking the league by storm once again this season. Curry is leading the way for the Warriors by posting historically great numbers thus far and already looking like a lock to repeat as MVP. Curry is averaging a league leading 33.6 points per game on 51 percent shooting. Curry is currently being recognized as the greatest shooter of all time. He is also getting his teammates involved averaging 5.6 assists per game, displaying flashiness and ball handling ability that the league has never seen before. Curry is playing with a chip on his shoulder after not being voted MVP by the players in the league at the player’s awards last spring. If he can stay hungry and keep playing at this rate, Golden State is going to be near impossible to beat.
Aside from Curry, the Warriors have plenty of other talented players throughout their lineup. Curry’s partner in crime and “splash brother,” Klay Thompson starts at the shooting guard alongside Curry as they have teamed up to become the best backcourt in all of the basketball. Thompson isn’t quite the shooter that Curry is, but he is extremely close. He compliments Curry’s game perfectly as he is long on the defensive end and his length causes matchup nightmares on the offensive end for most shooting guards. He also can pull up from three-point land with the best of them and gets to the rack when he has to with ease. Thompson’s stats have slightly decreased as he is averaging just over 16 points per game and shooting 44 percent from the field this season, but both those numbers are bound to improve. Thompson and Curry have great chemistry and been the key contributors to helping the Warriors establish a winning culture.
Andre Iguodala, who won last year’s NBA Finals MVP award, is still playing a huge role for the Warriors. He is an elite defensive player and can defend multiple different positions. He has greatly improved on his three-point shooting from last year to this, going from 33 percent last season to 45 percent this year. Iguodala is a savvy veteran who brings great experience and leadership to this young, talented team. Power forward Draymond Green is in his third year and an emerging star for Golden State who is poised for his breakout season. Green is putting up a healthy stat line of 12.3 points per game, eight rebounds and seven assists. Harrison Barnes has also chipped in his fair share so far this season with 14 points per game and just over fives rebounds per game.
The league may have made a huge mistake by calling out the Warriors for their “depleted“ Championship that they won last season. No one was sold on them because they didn’t ever have to go up against a lineup at full strength throughout their postseason run. Golden State has returned almost the exact same lineup from a year ago and have more than enough talent to repeat this year and possibly surpass Jordan’s 1995-1996 Chicago Bulls all-time regular season record. They are deep, skilled and more determined than ever after feeling disrespected by everyone they beat last season.
