On paper, it’s a dream road trip for the Warriors. Four days in New York, with games against the sub-mediocre Knicks and Nets separated by one day, then onto Chicago for the atrocious Bulls.
With high-energy cities, in early autumn, against very beatable opponents, the timing could not be more perfect for the defending champions.
They’ve won the last two games by double digits and are shedding issues that seemed to shackle them in the first three games. There is a less standing around. Isolation ball is out, and copious passing has returned. The defense still has occasional issues but is less sporadic and finds another level when threatened.
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Then, too, Draymond Green, who missed two weeks of training camp, is starting to look like himself. The team is, in general, about as healthy as it can be until DeMarcus Cousins is cleared.
“I’m happy with the start,” coach Steve Kerr said. “We’ve gotten better since we began. I just want the team to keep getting better.. . . Overall, the last couple games, we’ve looked more like ourselves with the movement, the flow offensively. I want that to continue, but I want our defensive effort to improve.”
New York is a great place to tighten up a defense. While most of the NBA is scoring at will, the Knicks, who the Warriors face on Friday, and the Nets, who they face on Sunday, are well behind the curve. Through games of Wednesday night, the Knicks are 17th in adjusted offensive rating, the Nets 24th. When the Warriors head to Chicago on Monday, they’ll see the Bulls, who are 22nd in that category.
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Golden State Warriors
New York is averaging 106.4 points per game, Brooklyn 105.3 and Chicago 111.3. If the focus is there, the Warriors could keep all three of these teams below their averages.
On the other end, the Nets are respectable, ranking 15th in adjusted defensive rating. The Knicks are 23rd, the Bulls 27th.
Put another way, Stephen Curry shouldn’t be the only Warrior getting open looks beyond the arc. Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson should have the room to find their rhythm from deep, so expect that to come.
Good grief, they’re all going to need to be on target when they return to the Bay Area next week. The New Orleans Pelicans, boasting the league’s most potent offense, will be waiting for the Warriors next Wednesday at Oracle Arena.
For now, though, it’s about the Warriors going through perhaps the softest part of their regular-season schedule. They’re in weaker of the two conferences, facing some of the worst within it.
And if the opponents don’t provide motivation, maybe the location will.
“Every game is an opportunity to do something special,” Curry said. “We’re playing in Madison Square Garden one time a year, so we look forward to that opportunity. I’ve had a couple great games there before, but I haven’t really thought about it until after tonight.
“It’s 82 games, no matter how you slice it. The way that we’ve gotten off to a great start as a team, and myself individually, we want to try to sustain that and continue to work on the things that help us win a championship.”