Warriors schedule Week 5: Curry, Durant and Co. get two revenge shots at Lakers
It's not crazy to imagine Golden State extending its seven-game winning streak to 11
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4 min read
The Golden State Warriors have won their last seven games and, almost a month into the season, only the Los Angeles Clippers own a better record. Big picture, this super-team experiment is going extremely well. The Warriors easily have the best offensive rating in the NBA, a product not only of their ridiculous talent and shooting, but the fact that they have settled into a rhythm when it comes to sharing the ball. Klay Thompson's cold streak is long over, Kevin Durant is playing the most efficient basketball of his career, Stephen Curry is making defenders fall over each other and Draymond Green is talking about winning Defensive Player of the Year.
Of course, Golden State still has some things to figure out. It needed a heroic defensive play from Green to edge the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday, and its defensive rating is 20th in the league. If that doesn't improve, the Warriors will remain beatable.
WARRIORS CHECK-IN
Record: 11-2
Scoring leader: Kevin Durant (27.9)
Assists leader: Draymond Green (6.8)
Rebounding leader: Draymond Green (9.1)
Last week: Defeated Raptors, Celtics and Bucks (3-0)
GAMES THIS WEEK
Monday, 7 p.m. ET: Indiana Pacers
Where: Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana
TV: NBA League Pass
Streaming: NBA League Pass
Wednesday, 10:30 p.m. ET: Los Angeles Lakers
Where: Oracle Arena in Oakland, California
TV: NBA League Pass
Streaming: NBA League Pass
Friday, 10:30 p.m. ET: Los Angeles Lakers
Where: Staples Center in Los Angeles, California
TV: NBA TV
Streaming: Sling TV, PlayStation Vue
Saturday, 10:30 p.m. ET: Minnesota Timberwolves
Where: Oracle Arena in Oakland, California
TV: NBA League Pass
Streaming: NBA League Pass
KEEP AN EYE ON ...
Revenge: The Warriors haven't forgotten what happened at the Staples Center in early November. You probably haven't, either -- Curry went 0-for-10 from 3-point range, Thompson clanked 14 of his 18 shot attempts and the Lakers ran away with a 117-97 win, dropping 41 points in the second quarter alone. This was eerily similar to Golden State's 17-point loss in Los Angeles last season, and you have to imagine that the players are going to approach this home-and-home with "appropriate fear" and appropriate intensity.
The Lakers, by the way, are not a joke anymore. They have the eighth-best offensive rating in the NBA, and coach Luke Walton has them playing at a fast pace and using their athleticism. The Warriors need to be focused on making them turn the ball over and keeping them off the free-throw line.
Team defense, again: Golden State doesn't have to be an awesome defensive team to win games in the regular season. It can get by with a historically good offense and the ability to lock in and get stops when needed. If the Warriors are going to reach their incredible potential, though, they must build proper habits and make progress on that end before the playoffs start.
In 63 minutes -- small sample size alert -- the "Megadeath lineup" of Curry, Thompson, Andre Iguodala, Durant and Green has destroyed opponents by an average of 27 points per 100 possessions, with a defensive rating that would rank sixth in the NBA. Just like last year, Golden State doesn't need a traditional rim protector on the court to get stops. That group can't play all game, though, and the Warriors have regressed overall when it comes to rebounding and interior defense.
Of particular interest will be how Golden State defends against the Wolves, who are fifth in offensive rating and have seen significant improvement from Andrew Wiggins.
The assist streak: Curry, Durant and Thompson have all led the Warriors in scoring during their seven-game win streak. One thing that all of the games have had in common, though: Golden State has recorded at least 30 assists every time, the longest such streak since 1990.
"That's just a number every team wants to hit," Durant said, via the San Jose Mercury News' Anthony Slater. "Since I've been in the league, when a team gets 30 assists, coaches are usually happy about it. For us to get 30 nightly, that's pretty big for us. Shows we're moving the ball and guys are making the correct play."
The Warriors lead the league in assists by a healthy margin, and that's true even if you adjust for pace. This is a reflection of the fact that, after a shaky first few games, Durant has fit into their system well, and they are playing with the same unselfish spirit that they have for the last two years under coach Steve Kerr. Let's see if they can keep this up.
BIGGEST ONE-ON-ONE MATCHUP
Karl-Anthony Towns vs. everybody. This is not technically a one-on-one matchup, as Golden State will use several defenders to try to slow down the Timberwolves' rising star. It is, however, the biggest challenge for Kerr and his staff.
Green isn't afraid to battle the taller Towns, but is vulnerable to the big man simply shooting over him. Last year, he was a problem for the Warriors -- he had 20 points, 12 rebounds, four assists and two blocks in the Wolves' shocking victory at Oracle Arena in April.
This season, Towns is attempting 3.9 3-pointers per game and making 42.6 percent of them, meaning that the Warriors will really have to use their length and speed to stay with him on the perimeter. The trick there is doing that without getting annihilated by his post-ups.
