The Golden State Warriors, after losing Klay Thompson in free agency and De'Anthony Melton to injury, are still the second-best team in the Western Conference with a 12-5 record. However, they lost two straight games, falling to the San Antonio Spurs and Brooklyn Nets. At the time of the game, neither team was above .500.
In last week's power ranking, The Athletic ranked the Warriors as the second-best team in the NBA, behind only the Cleveland Cavaliers. Since then, the Warriors have dropped two spots and now find themselves fourth.
Still, there is a lot to be happy about if you're a Golden State fan. Last year, the Dubs missed the postseason after being bounced in the Play-In Tournament. The Warriors are 12-5, and 17 games into last season, they were only 8-9. It's safe to say that this season has been an upgrade over last.
Stephen Curry is only averaging 22.4 points per game, but Steve Kerr's 12-man rotation has allowed his aging core to remain healthy and allows the fresher faces to carry their own weight. With 12 players always ready to go, a slow night from anyone is not enough to knock the Warriors off track, as there is always someone who has the hot hand who can get fed the ball.
This season, the Warriors look like a well-oiled machine. Despite their two bad losses to the Spurs and Nets, Golden State is very much a contender not just to make the playoffs, but to make a very real push to the NBA Finals.
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