Golden State Warriors Remain Focused On Wins Not Records

The Golden State Warriors are off to a scorching start — but they remain focused on winning each game they play, rather than setting records.

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For the Golden State Warriors, it would have been easy to start this NBA season unfocused and a bit caught up in the mass hysteria that’s comes with being the defending champions. Bbut instead of dwelling on a shortened offseason, or letting the fact that Steve Kerr was not strolling the sidelines create an escape clause that allowed them to lose focus and stumble out the starting blocks, they have come together in pursuit of one common goal — winning that second ring.

Naturally, there is more attention on the defending champs than on any other team — any team that doesn’t have Lebron James on it — so there is an adjustment period needed to get used to all the hoopla. But when you add a historical winning streak into the mix, the hoopla turns into a national frenzy.

Being constantly poked and prodded by aggressive journalists looking to be the one to finally get the scoop on what keeps the Warriors winning has to become brain numbing after a while. But the wins keep coming and the doubters keep shrinking.

There has been plenty of individual brilliance in the midst of this great team effort. Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson both have had opportunities to destroy the NBA record for most three-pointers made in a single game, only to find themselves watching from the bench in the fourth quarter. By that time, the reserves are in mopping up in yet another blowout victory.

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Luke Walton may be a first year NBA head coach, but he has plenty of experience around championship teams. He knows individual records may be great, but ultimately it’s team goals that trumps all individual conquest.

Of course, most players would love a chance at having their names forever engraved in the NBA history books. But the Warriors’ roster is full of team first players who routinely sacrifice individual numbers for team success.

The Warriors know every team in the league is gearing up and hoping to be the ones to finally knock the crown of the heads of the champions. But they also realize how individual greed can destroy team chemistry and be the one ingredient that can be the downfall in a brilliant team dish. Not allowing individual greed in the team building has been one of the reasons the Warriors seem unfazed on their rise to stardom and fame.

Yet, they continue to take it all in stride.

For example, Thompson scored 29 points in the first half of the Warriors’ win over the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday night. Thompson was a big reason why the Warriors went on a 22-0 first half run, which basically ended any chances of the Pacers halting Golden State’s 26 game winning streak.

"“It was one of those nights where I got a lot of great looks. Going in I felt great, I felt like I was due for a game like that,” Thompson told the Daily News."

The less talked about half of the Splash Brothers, put up eight threes in the first half, and finished with a team high 39 points — while going 10 for 16 from long-range. Most players might attribute those type of numbers to being in the zone, but for Thompson he knew it was only a matter of time before he reminded everyone what a lethal scoring machine he can be.

Next: For Stephen Curry and the Warriors

The Warriors are a juggernaut with a thirst for winning that is rarely seen in defending champions. Teams coming off championship seasons, tend to find it difficult to find the fire that sparked their previous title run. But the Warriors have remained focused, and are determined to go into the history books as a team not concerned with individual glory.