By Adam Peng ’17, Sports Editor
Defending National Basketball Association Champions, the Golden State Warriors seem unstoppable this season. They are currently in the middle of a 23-game winning-streak, the longest win streak to start a season in NBA history. Dating back to last season, they have won 27 straight regular season games, tied for the second longest streak ever.
After a strong 131-123 win over the Pacers, every sports fan is wondering just how many games they can win this season.
Healthy and playing the best basketball of his life, superstar Stephen Curry is averaging 32.2 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 6.0 assists per game this season. He is the first person to average 32 points through the first 20 games of a season since Allen Iverson during the 2005-2006 NBA season. When asked whether he is the best player in the world, he said “When I’m on the floor, I believe I am, for sure. I don’t get into why I’m better than such and such. But that’s my motivation when I work.” This season, Stephen Curry not only continues to impress fans with his shooting skills, but also with his field goal percentage in the paint (better than most centers). This improvement makes him virtually impossible to be defend.
Other players are also crucial for this Golden State Warriors. With 10 3-pointers and 39 points overall in the Warriors’ last game, shooting guard Klay Thompson showed he is a force to reckoned with. Thompson averages 18.2 points per game, the second highest on the team. Down low, Draymond Green and Andrew Bogut build a “great wall” in the paint, ranking sixth in the league in rebounds.
As a Warriors fan, I believe the reason for the Warrior’s success is their Spurs-like play. No doubt, Curry is the star player, but when looking at their play, every single player has the confidence to score. Former NBA all-star player, Andre Iguodala, plays as a role player this year, helping his teammates with his experience and leadership. The Warriors’ head coach, Steve Kerr, a legendary shooter himself, has helped the team reach a terrifying 43.8 % shooting percentage on 3-pointers. Every single player on the team buys into the Warrior’s winning mentality, making them even tougher as a team.
Will the Warriors’ break the 33 game win-streak record? What about the 1996 Chicago Bulls’ record 72 win season? Only time will tell. All we can do now is keep enjoying the “Win-rriors”!
Sources:
http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/14314860/stephen-curry-small-ball-mj-gunning-record-books
http://espn.go.com/blog/statsinfo/post/_/id/112107/20-reasons-why-the-warriors-are-20-0
http://bbs.hupu.com/14860317.html
http://g.hupu.com/nba/teams/warriors
http://i2.hoopchina.com.cn/blogfile/201512/06/BbsImg144936270598854_440*294.jpg
