> What’s one thing that stands out — one lasting impression — from the Warriors’ 24-0 run to start the season?
Steve Aschburner, NBA.com: I covered the Warriors a couple times deep into their run, including the streak-buster at Milwaukee, and was struck by both the supreme confidence they exuded and the standards to which they held their performances, higher than mere winning or losing. But mostly I’ll remember Luke Walton, who sounded and worked the sidelines like a veteran NBA coach, not some temp worker swamped in one of sports’ most pressure-packed roles. Sorry, W fans, but he deserves to be hired away by some needy team next summer.
Fran Blinebury, NBA.com: Lots of memories. Harrison Barnes slam over Dwight Howard (Oct. 30),Festus Ezeli’s thunderclap rejection of Blake Griffin (Nov. 4) and any number of ankle-breaking drives and 3-point shots by Steph Curry. But what stands out most is the Warriors’ comeback from 23 points down to beat the hated Clippers on Nov. 19. So full of heat, vitriol and sheer will. Delicious.
Scott Howard-Cooper, NBA.com: How they wanted the pressure of everyone coming at them to break the streak. You learn about good teams in the playoffs, not the start of the season, but what a read on the Warriors’ personality. The record became important as a statement as well as a historical moment. Champagne hangover? Trip without their coach? Struggle with the expectations as a defending champion? No. No. No. They were locked in from the start.
Shaun Powell, NBA.com: I hope the Warriors and their fans don’t take this the wrong way, because the streak was obviously impressive. But what stood out is the Warriors didn’t play Oklahoma City, San Antonio or Cleveland, perhaps the only other teams capable of winning the championship this season. That, and how Steph Curry cemented his role as the most feared scorer on the planet.
John Schuhmann, NBA.com: Statistically, it’s how potent their offense has become. Through Tuesday, the Warriors have scored 11.3 more points per 100 possessions than the league average, a differential that would eclipse the highest mark (+9.5 by the 2003-04 Mavs) of the last 39 years (since the league starting counting turnovers) by a wide margin. Stephen Curry isn’t the only Warrior shooting well; Andre Iguodala,Klay Thompson and Harrison Barnes are also in the top 20 in effective field goal percentage (minimum 150 FGA), and five of the other six guys in the rotation have shot better than the league average. AndDraymond Green has turned into a terrific playmaker who makes defenses pay for paying attention to Curry.
Sekou Smith, NBA.com: Win No. 24 was my favorite game of the entire streak. That crowd in Boston was feeling it, they thought they’d play the spoiler role the Milwaukee Bucks would a night later. Kelly Olynyk was playing out of his mind and if ever there was a time to get the Warriors it was on a Friday night when they didn’t have Harrison Barnes or Klay Thompson in the lineup. But Steph Curry and Draymond Green would not have it. They scrapped and clawed their way to a win in one of the best and most hostile environments in basketball. The refuse-to-lose attitude they showed that night told me everything I needed to know about the resolve of the champs.
Ian Thomsen, NBA.com: Their humility. Their streak was built up from the most demanding kind of defensive teamwork. They made the scoring look effortless when in fact there was nothing easy about the efforts that launched those fast breaks. They had every excuse to big-time it, and yet the defending champs were the most-focused and hardest-working team of the opening six weeks.
Lang Whitaker, NBA.com’s All Ball blog: Confidence. It seems like forever ago, but don’t forget the Warriors suffered a crisis of confidence back in May, after falling behind 2-1 against the Memphis Grizzlies in the 2015 Western Conference semifinals. But they switched Andrew Bogut onto Tony Allen and never looked back, and they came into this season like they’d never taken a break. The streak may be over, but the Warriors aren’t done. Not even close.
