If you were skeptical about the 6-1 record the Golden State Warriors had reached, you weren’t alone. The schedule was extremely smooth, with wins over Portland, Utah, Washington and two more against a New Orleans team that looked like a disaster.
But there were signs that something real was brewing.. Those victories were not squeaky. They were outperforming teams with defense and depth, two typically stable markers of identity. You thought there was a crack in a blown 31-point lead against the Rockets, but the Warriors steadied themselves and Jonathan Kuminga pulled them through with an encouraging, assertive effort in overtime.
He showed that the Warriors could respond to unexpected adversity. It’s hard to have to go back to win a game you thought was already over. That overtime was a bit of a surprise test, as the Rockets had all the momentum. Golden State overcame it and took another positive step forward.
Everything was set for a showdown in Boston on Wednesday, where the Warriors took their first real test against a top-tier opponent. And man, did they ever do it, defeating the defending champion Celtics 118-112 and putting the stamp of validation on their early-season success.
Let’s keep this in perspective. We’re not even three weeks into the season. A victory does not make a team a contender. But it does mean that the Warriors can, on the right night, not just play anyone, but beat them. They can do it, above all, because they defend like crazy.
So far only the Thunder are posting a better defensive rating than the Warriors, and the gap between Golden State and the No. 3 Rockets is a measurable five points per 100 possessions. The Warriors are versatile, active, connected and stayed in the game on Wednesday despite an extremely poor offensive start with a high-pressure defense that limited Boston to just 40 points in the first half.
Sure, the Celtics were missing Jaylen Brown and Kristaps Porzingis, the latter of whom has yet to play this season and isn’t expected to suit up until December. It took an A+ effort by the Warriors to beat a team that was missing two of its five best players.
Golden State is not in Boston’s class. Don’t squirm. But they are not as far away as you might think. They are definitely one change away from a real contest. Who that trade target might be and whether said player would be available is another topic for another day.
For now, as constructed, the Warriors are clearly a team designed to stay in the mix for a playoff spot, if not in the top four, all the way. As long as Stephen Curry avoids a long injury layoff, this is a team that can withstand injuries just about anywhere else due to its depth. Ten guys played at least 14 minutes in Boston.
Keep in mind that the Warriors weren’t at full strength on Wednesday either. Brandin Podziemski didn’t play, and while he’s no Jaylen Brown, he’s been, for the most part, excellent for Golden State this season. His absence was no small matter. The same goes for De’Anthony Melton, who is a starter and yet surprisingly forgettable with all the legitimate contributors the Warriors are bringing in.
Curry, who finished with 27 points, nine assists, seven rebounds and four steals, said it perfectly after the game: “I love the vibe we have.”
In fact, the energy buzzing in the Bay right now feels a lot like the old Warriors, who played every night with the joy and urgency of a team that still had something to prove and who really loved playing together.
This team is having fun, plain and simple. It’s playing for each other, and off each other, all reading and reacting when the ball jumps. Buddy Hield, who hit four more 3-pointers on Wednesday, is beside himself. Draymond Green quarterbacks both ends of the floor at an elite level. Andrew Wiggins, dare I say, is flirting with his 2021-22 form. Gary Payton II is a walking adrenaline rush.
Moses Moody. Trayce Jackson-Davis. Kevon Looney. Lindy Waters. Kyle Anderson. Kuminga. There isn’t a single player in this rotation who isn’t playing extraordinarily well to start this season. Kerr can’t hit the wrong alignment button right now.
The tests will continue to come on this trip with dates in Cleveland, which is 8-0, and Oklahoma City, which is the only team that can credibly be mentioned in the same breath as Boston. It’s hard to imagine, with the way the Warriors are playing right now, that they won’t find a way to compete in those two games. But even if things don’t go as well as they did in Boston, the evidence we needed to see to validate this team as legitimate has been officially presented. These Warriors have come out to play.
