Golden State Warriors Prove They Remain in a Class of Their Own

Prior to Monday’s game at Cleveland, the Golden State Warriors were toting around a very disturbing stat – a record of 4-4 on the road over their previous eight road games. They had dropped two of their previous three, including a thorough thrashing by the Detroit Pistons in the first game of their three-game road trip.

In general, the Dubs’ lackluster play (at least by their standards) over the past few weeks had begun to elicit whispers of doubt in their abilities. Their defense had not been anywhere close to the suffocating misery they inflicted on their opponents last year. Their offense had become a sloppy, disjointed mess unless Stephen Curry or Klay Thompson got hot from the three-point line. The bench showed little ability to score or defend when the starters sat. Worst of all, the advanced stats had indicated that the San Antonio Spurs, labelled all season as the one team with the recipe to beating the Dubs, were outplaying them on both ends of the court.

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Their MLK day beatdown of the Cavs on Cleveland’s home court should put to rest any seeds of doubt that the Warriors are the best team in the NBA. Coming off a humbling loss to the Pistons and going in to Cleveland where they were expected to play a team eager to prove a point, you would not have been crazy to expect a struggle. Finally possessing their fully healthy Big 3 of LeBron, Kyrie Irving, and Kevin Love, the Cavs were expected to show the world that with their full complement of weapons, they were more than a match for the world champions.

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Instead, the Warriors were the ones who sent a message with their play. Irving and Love, whom many were proclaiming may have altered the outcome of last year’s NBA Finals, had a combined net rating of -39 when they were on the court. Love, limited to 1-5 shooting for 3 points, was manhandled by Draymond Green, who put up a stat line of 16-10-7-2 on 50% shooting. Irving, scoring 8 points on 3-11 shooting, was similarly outplayed by Curry, who lit up Quicken Loans Arena with another brilliant offensive display by scoring 35 points with 7 threes in just 28 minutes of action.

This game does not prove that the Warriors are better than the Spurs. At least, not yet. What it does show, however, is that the Dubs have the ability to score at an astronomical rate, to play suffocating defense for 48 minutes, and to mentally wear opponents out with their depth. The caveat to that ability all season long has been that the Warriors have demonstrated the tendency to take their foot off the gas pedal. Frankly, they just get bored of rolling over opponents.

The shocking loss to the Pistons woke them from their season-long tedium. They marched into Cleveland pissed off at their doubters, and then they proceeded to make examples of Cleveland and any other team that dares to think they can be challenged.

The Warriors have a championship-caliber roster and a team that can make a case for being one of the all-time greats. The recipe for continued success – just don’t get bored of winning.

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