The Warriors decisively beat the Rockets 120-107 on Sunday night in large part thanks to Gary Payton II’s impressive dunks and Otto Porter Jr.’s form to end the second quarter.
The 2021-22 NBA season isn't even a month old, but the Warriors have a strong case as the league's best team right now.
Just take a look at the numbers, provided by StatMuse. If there's an important category, Golden State either leads it or is near the top on both sides of the ball. These are championship numbers.
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Following their 120-107 win over the Houston Rockets on Sunday, the Warriors improved to 8-1 on the year. They have a 1.5-game lead over the Utah Jazz atop the Western Conference standings and are the only team left with just one loss so far.
What has made their start even more impressive is that this has been far from just the Steph Curry show. Curry is far from having a bad start, but he doesn't have to carry the entire 15-man roster on his back on a nightly basis. He's averaging 25.1 points per game, down from 32.0 a season ago. But his assists and rebounds both are higher than last season, as are his steals and blocks.
Golden State's depth has been on full display so far this season, with four players averaging at least 12 points per game. And then there's the Warriors' defense.
In the Warriors' nine games played, they have given up fewer than 100 points four times.
Golden State Warriors
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While their start has been a pleasant surprise, the numbers aren't if you have watched any of their games. This isn't the Warriros of last season, or the season before that.
This is a roster built to contend, and help is on the way.
