After a rough start to their new campaign, Golden State is seeing brighter days ahead. After a winless opening week and two more straight games without a victory, the team has flipped the script, strung together back-to-back wins, and built much-needed momentum. After road wins over the Denver Nuggets and Minnesota Timberwolves, Steve Kerr’s group has found its rhythm. A few areas have stood out during this mini-streak, mostly individual player performances, but the team’s execution hasn’t lacked the winning formula either.
The first thing that jumps out to fans is what Yaxel Lenderborg has done over five games. The 24-year-old rookie looks to have made a seamless transition from college to the professional level, averaging a nearly double-double with 22.6 points and 9.2 rebounds per matchup. A fair criticism of Golden State has been that it’s failed to supplement its superstar, Stephen Curry, with a reliable secondary scorer over the last few years. This sample size doesn't provide enough evidence for a definitive conclusion, but Lenderborg looks up to the challenge. The Michigan NCAA Champion hasn’t backed out of anyone’s challenge and has used his athleticism and collegiate experience to impact both the stat sheet and what’s happening around him.
Speaking of standout performances, we can’t mention this team without also bringing up what Curry has done as an 18-year-old vet. For yet another season, his longevity remains unquestioned. At 38, the future first-ballot Hall of Famer averages 28.8 points per game, ranking third among all players. He’s doing so in just 27.3 minutes per game, hinting at load management but also heavy usage when on the court. Most of Curry’s damage happens inside the three-point line, where Draymond Green’s team-leading 6.8 assists per competition mostly find the gifted guard. With a clear formula when the ‘Chef’ hits the court, Golden State has heavily leaned on prolific scoring to carry the offense.
Something the 2022 NBA Champions already seem to have improved is their communication. Again, we must take all assumptions and conclusions with a grain of salt, since only five games have been played. However, the Bay Area dynasty already looks to have better defensive switching, as well as better coordination after they blitz the primary ball handler. Warriors fans have known to prepare for the difficulties a more complex system would bring, but turnovers have seemed to come at a lower rate than in years past. This issue has plagued Golden State's recent playoff-aspiring runs, so perhaps this new system has patched up an Achilles heel.
