The Warriors Are Putting The NBA On Notice

Two wins and one loss. That was the Warriors' record over the last three games. And they didn't just play any three games. They played the Boston Celtics, the Cleveland Cavaliers, and the OKC Thunder in three consecutive games on the road. Those are possibly the three best teams in the NBA in their home arenas, and the Dubs walked away with two victories. And yes, they did get blown out by the Cavs in one of those games, but I'm here to tell you something you guys should already know. That happens. But what really matters is the Dubs walked into the arenas of the Western Conference favorites and the Eastern Conference favorites, and they walked out with victories on both of those occasions. So for anyone who wondered if their hot start to the season was because of the teams they'd played, don't wonder anymore. This Golden State Warriors team is absolutely legit, and I don't know how you could say otherwise. And if there is one guy who looked really good in the game against OKC, I'm going to let you guys guess this one. Yes, Mr. 30. Mr. Stephen Curry, who unfortunately had to play more minutes than he should have because the Warriors decided a 30-point lead with one quarter left wasn't good enough, but that allowed us to see more Steph magic, with him finishing the game with 36 points, seven boards, and five assists. And it was the third quarter where he looked like an MVP-level player. He started the quarter by cutting to the rim for the and one off the Andrew Wiggins offensive rebound. The next possession is just Steph using his handle in transition to glide past Jalen Williams and reverse the layup in. But that was just him warming up, because after that, Steph started to hit jumper after jumper after jumper, including these two towards the end of the quarter, with the clean step back on the baseline against Kayson Wallace, and then, well, the Steph Curry special. And we can talk about the Warriors' improved depth. We can talk about Buddy Heald or Draymond Green's defense. We can, and we will continue to talk about all of those things and more. But what matters more than all of those things when it comes to the dubs' chances of winning a championship is the fact this is the best version of Steph Curry we have seen since his playoff series against the Kings. I thought that might have been the case after seeing him against Boston, but this game against OKC just confirmed that to me. And the beauty of Steph is he makes every player around him a threat. Just look at him here bringing the ball up the floor. And watch here as he draws the help from Chet, but the key is the glance at Trace, which draws Shea towards him This is what Steph does like all the great passers in the NBA. He not only has the gravity to draw multiple defenders at a time, but his ability to manipulate the defense with his eyes, as well as his handle, will always remain elite. And I will continue to say this every time, but it goes beyond just how many assists he gets, because that doesn't even come close to doing justice his level of playmaking. With his ability to draw two defenders, allowing guys like Draymond, Trace, or Looney to capitalize on his gravity by then finding a cutter. And we're even seeing it from slow-mo. Like here where Steph has two OKC defenders all over him, about 28 feet from the basket. Slow-mo gets to the middle of the floor, and Buddy Heald is wide open. Buddy Heald. This is what Buddy Heald meant when he said he's never been this open in his life, because he's never played with Steph Curry. And seeing this version of Steph, gives me hope this Warriors team could be a legit force in the West. Because this is what you need from your superstar when you have the likes of Jokic, Luka, and Shea to face in the Western Conference. And you know what also helps when you have to face elite players like those guys I just mentioned? It helps having players who can guard them. We already know about Andrew Wiggins, Draymond Grain, and Gary Payton II, but everyone just got a glimpse as to why the Golden State Warriors signed D'Anthony Melton, and why I think he could be the best signing they made this offseason. Yes, even better than Buddy Heald. And that has nothing to do with Buddy, and everything to do with the fact Melton provides a level of versatility on both ends of the floor that you just don't find very often, as someone who is 6'3 with a 7'1 wingspan. But not only does he have the potential to be a great defensive fit next to Steph Curry, offensively, he's a shooter. He's a legit shooter, hitting five threes in the game against OKC. And this was a game where he got a lot of good looks, in large part due to the playmaking of Steph Curry, but he's also someone capable of putting the ball on the floor, and hitting pull-up threes, or coming off screens and knocking down shots on the move. Obviously he's not Steph or Buddy Heald, but that's the beauty of this Warriors team, is you already have two of the greatest shooters ever, so Melton is going to get good looks without having to try to do too much. And then defensively, well that's where the dubs will be hoping he can really shine. Like on this play where he's initially in the action on this shade drive. He hangs in the paint for a second before rotating back out, and once he realizes Shea is trapped, he then makes another rotation out to the corner, and you can see that wingspan as he stretches just enough to reach the ball before J-Dub can get to it. And this is what makes the dubs scary. You have Steph Curry looking back to his 2023 version, you have Buddy Heald playing the best basketball of his career, Jonathan Kamenga might make some questionable plays, but he's another guy that can give you 20 points a night off the bench, and then you have Melton, Wiggs, and Dre, who are all seriously good defenders in the starting lineup. And I want to talk about Wiggs, because I'm sure you guys all saw the play involving him and Chet Hongren, and if you didn't, this was the one. Now this play will be talked about during the week because of what happened to Chet, and I'm sure everyone including myself is hoping Chet isn't seriously hurt, but what stood out to me about this play was the aggression from Andrew Wiggins on the drive, and this isn't a one-off either. This is the aggression Wiggs has been playing with all year long, looking more confident, more decisive, and more physically ready to attack the rim on a more consistent basis. Andrew Wiggins was not doing this last year. He was still competing on defense, but he was not the same offensive player, and he also wasn't the same defensive player either. Just look at him on this play shading Shea's right-hand side, because he knows that help is coming from the left. Once TJD steps in to help, Wiggs then uses his length to get in the passing lane and poke the ball away from Chet for the steal. Or how about him on this play with two minutes left in the game and the Thunder trying to make a late push. Shea gets to his spot, and despite the nasty step back, Wiggs is able to recover and at least contest his shot, which might not seem like a crazy play, but for anyone who has watched Shea Gildas Alexander, that is more of a contest than 99% of the league can manage. And that's what Andrew Wiggins consistently gives you against these great offensive players. He won't magically turn them into terrible players, because that's just not possible, but he's going to make their job difficult every single possession. And that not only leads to missed shots, but it leads to turnovers as well. And when you have all of these guys alongside Draymond Green and Steph Curry, well, you get a team that looks like one of the best in the NBA and is now beating the best in the NBA as well. And if you want to continue to hear me talk about this team, consider subscribing, it's free. Dropping a like on the video would be much appreciated. Most importantly, have a great day. Bye.