SAN FRANCISCO - Two weeks ago, the Golden State Warriors looked like a team headed the wrong way. They were 0-3, the defense was a mess, the injuries were stacking up and the rebuild talk was getting louder by the day.
Now they’re 8-3, sitting tied for a top-four seed in the Western Conference, and the old “strength in numbers” idea is suddenly sounding a lot less like nostalgia and a lot more like a live wire again.
Monday night’s 138-87 demolition of the Pelicans was the latest proof. Stephen Curry put up 25 points in just 21 minutes.
Rookie phenom Yaxel Lendeborg added 23. Brandin Podziemski finished as a team-best plus-36.
And the 51-point win was Golden State’s largest at home in 35 years.
“Connectivity is a powerful thing,” said Podziemski.
Said Steve Kerr, “We just have a really good feeling. Everybody is having fun.”
The turnaround has been driven first by defense. Through five games, Golden State ranked 27th in the league in defensive rating.
Over the last eight, it has climbed to No. 1.
Frank Vogel, Kerr’s top assistant and de facto defensive coordinator, has the group locked in on the basics: protect the paint, stay solid in transition and force opponents into one shot per possession. The Warriors have been doing exactly that.
“We’re doing a better job just taking away some of the easy baskets,” said Kerr, “and that’s kind of the whole thing in the NBA.”
Curry, meanwhile, is still playing like time hasn’t caught him. At 38, he’s off to one of the best starts of his career, averaging 31.3 points while shooting a career-best 49.7% from the floor and 44.7% from three.
On Saturday, he passed LeBron James for the most 40-point games after age 35. Defenders younger by a decade or more are still trying to keep up.
“The thing with him is he's never done,” said Magic coach Sean Sweeney, after Curry dropped 41 on Orlando. “Even if you do a good job early getting him under control, he's still going to stick with it. You can't let up with him and that's why he's one of the greatest of all time.”
Draymond Green has been just as important on the other end. At 36, he’s still anchoring the defense, and the Warriors have leaned on him heavily with Kristaps Porziņģis out. Green held Giannis Antetokounmpo to 20 points when Miami came to town last week, and a week earlier he helped spearhead the effort that kept the Lakers to 95 points.
Then there’s Lendeborg, who has become impossible to ignore. He made headlines on opening night by jawing at Luka Dončić, but the production has matched the confidence.
He averaged 19.8 points in October and is up to 23.3 in November. Kerr has used him as a point forward, and Lendeborg has responded with four assists per game.
Curry calls him “the full package.” Asked last week what is different about this season, Curry was succinct: “Yax.”
Against New Orleans, Lendeborg flashed the kind of decision-making that has Kerr buzzing. Late in the third quarter, he ran a pick-and-roll with Charles Bassey, drew the defense and then spotted De’Anthony Melton for an open three on the weak side instead of forcing the easy lob.
Marveled Kerr, “High level play. There’s not a lot of guys with the size and the skill to see the chess board and make the right move. It’s really impressive watching him.”
The bench has also become a real weapon, which wasn’t supposed to be the case. During the eight-game streak, Golden State’s reserves rank third in scoring.
Brandon Williams, who left Monday’s game early with a hamstring injury, is averaging double figures. De’Anthony Melton is just below that mark.
Georges Niang, Charles Bassey and Gui Santos are all giving useful minutes, and Al Horford is still logging 18 minutes a night.
Kerr first used “strength in numbers” back in 2014 to describe the formula behind the Warriors’ rise. This version of the team is starting to echo that idea again, even if he’s not ready to stamp it with any bigger label just yet.
He pointed out that it’s still November, that Golden State sits among a cluster of good teams in the Thunder, Timberwolves and Rockets, and that the schedule has not yet included San Antonio, which has won nine straight with Victor Wembanyama putting up 2K-like numbers.
Kerr says the Warriors can be a top-10 offense and defense, which he views as the kind of profile a championship team usually needs. He also said it takes at least 20 games to really know a team’s identity. For now, Golden State is “on a good path,” but “has a lot of work to do.”
Help is coming, too. Moses Moody and Jimmy Butler have been out all season, with Moody possibly back before the All-Star break and Butler not far behind.
The Warriors do not expect Porziņģis back, but they are actively shopping his effectively expiring $20 million contract to add frontcourt help. That could mean three more rotation pieces who can eat minutes, plus a closer in Butler.
“Our mindset is to get through the mud early,” said Warriors GM Mike Dunleavy Jr., “and then see where we are at.”
For now, the mood around the team is loose. Butler, who is recovering from knee surgery, is known for his bench-side wardrobe choices, and Kerr joked before Monday’s game that one night he should dress like a coach - black pants, quarter-zip and all.
When Kerr got to the bench, Butler was already in full gear. During the game, he was calling out the number of team fouls.
“He was really acting the part,” Kerr said. Then, during a timeout, Butler grabbed a whiteboard and wrote PASS TO STEPH in black marker.
“There was a little bit of mocking going on,” Kerr said. “But I’m all for it.”
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