Why the Warriors Will Go Far This Year

November 10, 2012; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors head coach Mark Jackson (far right) instructs his team in a huddle during the fourth quarter against the Denver Nuggets at ORACLE Arena. The Nuggets defeated the Warriors 107-101 in double overtime. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

The Warriors beat the Heat. That should be an indicator that they’re going to have a great year. It’s been 22 games, and the Warriors couldn’t have started better. They’re now at 15-7, and they’re 5th in the Western Conference and way ahead of the 6th seed.

If they were in the east, they would be 3rd place, close to second. The recent play of the Warriors has had the whole NBA buzzing, and they’re looking like serious threats – and this is all without superstar Andrew Bogut. It seems as if giving up Monta Ellis alone was enough to get the Warriors somewhere. The Warriors have the second best road record behind on the Spurs, and are in the midst of their longest road trip in the whole season. They’ve won the first five game of the trip, and are looking unstoppable. The only flaw was a loss to the Magic, who somehow play very well against the Dubs.

Debates are even being brought up that the Warriors are good enough to get pass the first round of the playoffs and maybe get to the second round. Is this possible, or are the Warriors pretenders this year? Even so, I’m sure most fans are just happy about the thought that the Warriors could actually be in the playoffs. Things are only going to get better when Bogut comes back, and the Warriors, if they’re lucky, might even be able to jump the Clippers for the lead of the Pacific Division.

Why The Warriors Will Go Far:

1. Stephen Curry: Right now, although not getting many all-star votes, Stephen Curry is playing very well. He is averaging over 19 PPG, and is one of the top scorers and PG’s in the league. He is drawing attention of the defense, and playing at an elite status.

2. David Lee: Lee is another one of those guys who is silently in his prime. For the first time in his career, he has had 6 consecutive 20+ 10+ games, and he is still rolling. The Warriors’ trade with the Knicks was a smart one, as Lee could quite possibly be the one to lead the Warriors to the playoffs. To put it in perspective, the Warriors’ last all-star was Latrell Sprewell. That was almost 20 years ago.

3. Klay Thompson:Young budding star Klay Thompson has garnered praise from LeBron James and Kobe Bryant. He has also drawn many comparisons to Ray Allen. When Klay Thompson isn’t shooting well, he always plays excellent defense, finds the open man, and gets steals and blocks. This is why, no matter what, the Warriors need  him on the court. He is capable of averaging 20+ PPG, but that will come with experience. He will likely take the last shot for the Warriors.

4. Mark Jackson: Although everyone criticized Mark Jackson for saying that the Warriors would make the playoffs last year, he hasn’t let it get to his head. Instead, he taught his team how to play defense, run plays, and close out games down the stretch. His brilliantly designed play against the Heat earned the Warriors a win.

5. Fans: Lets be honest: more than 80% of the Warrior fans have stayed faithful, despite a lack of playoff and all-star appearances. This year, all of this is changing. Yes, David Stern and the NBA may hate the Warriors, but our fans are giving them money. In the playoffs, remember how intimidating that color orange looked in 2007?