Don’t look now, but it would seem that the Golden State Warriors are ready to reclaim their spot atop the Western Conference. After missing the postseason for two straight years, the Warriors are off to a hot start this NBA season at 5-1.
The team started 4-0 before losing their most recent game in overtime to a scrappy Memphis Grizzlies team that also knocked them out of the NBA Play-In Tournament last season.
Golden State has received solid contributions from their complementary players, but once again, it is Stephen Curry running the show. Curry is showing that he will once again be among the few players in the running for MVP.
Curry is averaging 28.7 points per game and that number could very easily go up. He is shooting only 42.2 percent from the field overall and 39.7 percent from the 3-point line. Curry has never shot below 45 percent in a season and 41.1 percent is the lowest 3-point percentage he has ever recorded outside of the 2019-20 season when he appeared in only five games.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: This Raptors-Warriors Trade Is Centered Around Pascal Siakam
The next closest points per game average on the Warriors is Andrew Wiggins, who is at 16.6. But, Curry is doing more than just scoring the ball as he is stuffing the stat sheet.
He is also adding 7.6 rebounds, 6.5 assists, and 1.5 steals per game. The rebounds and assists are second on the team, while the steals are the most. Curry recorded a triple-double in the first game of the season and a double-double in each of the subsequent three games.
Right now, this is what the Golden State Warriors need to win games. Curry is more than capable of performing at an MVP level night in and night out, but the team is hopeful that other players will step up and produce so that he doesn’t have to.
Klay Thompson’s eventual return is something the organization and fans are anxiously awaiting. James Wiseman, the No. 2 overall pick from the 2020 NBA Draft, has not suited up yet this season. The same can be said for Jonathan Kuminga, who was the seventh overall selection in this year’s draft.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: This Raptors-Warriors Trade Is Centered Around Pascal Siakam
Getting talented players like those three in the lineup will not only lengthen the rotation but take some of the pressure off of Curry. Having to provide Herculean production each and every night is something that will eventually take its toll on a player no matter how talented they are.
In the early going of the season, Stephen Curry is definitely on the MVP track. But, there are other players, such as Ja Morant, Julius Randle, Zach LaVine, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Karl-Anthony Towns having great starts to the season for teams that are winning a lot of games.
