Defending NBA champions, the Golden State Warriors, are now among the best teams in NBA history after beating the Denver Nuggets 118-105 on Sunday night to match the league record for the best start to a regular season. With 15 wins and no losses, the Dubs–which include our very own Andrew Bogut–are now on the same pedestal as the 1948-49 Washington Capitols, playing in the then Basketball Association of America, and the 1993-94 NBA title-winning Houston Rockets. The best part is that they did it without having to resort to drugs that would enhance their performance.
Dubs require no drugs to be really great this season
The Warriors have been rather exceptional this season. They may be smaller than most NBA teams, but they seem to have become faster, stronger and more aggressive. Then there’s team leader and reigning MVP Stephen Curry who is playing on another level, like he’s actually from another planet. He can’t seem to miss, and has been handling the basketball with a lot more skill than anyone else. For the last few weeks, Curry and the rest of the Dubs have been playing flawlessly, tirelessly, and from all indications, joyfully, which makes it clear that there’s a very healthy workplace culture inside the Warriors organisation.
If we didn’t know any better, we would probably think they’re all using performance enhancing drugs like many other great athletes have done in the past just to win. But no, the NBA has an extremely strict drug policy, so the only people who will probably entertain thoughts of Curry and the rest of the Warriors being on drugs are fans of teams they are trampling on. Curry is simply the best player–and the Warriors the best team–in the NBA today.
Shooting for the best start ever
Now they have a chance to beat that record this week, and set the record for the best-ever start in the NBA. They’ll get their chance to go 16-0 on Tuesday against the Los Angeles Lakers. And seeing how the Lakers are doing, it is very likely that Curry and the Warriors will set that record, unless, of course, Kobe Bryant gets his old self back, which is next to impossible at this point in his career.
What I can really say is that this year’s Golden State Warriors appear to be a much better version of themselves, and are much, much luckier than all the other teams put together. And of course, they have Curry, perhaps the luckiest man on any court. Just watch videos of him stumbling to the floor and managing to score a triple on the way down just the same. If that isn’t luck, then I don’t know what is.