The Golden State Warriors have been one of the early surprise teams this season and they continued their hot streak tonight with a solid win at home against the Atlanta Hawks. After the 103-85 win, the Warriors (who are neck-and-neck with the Thunder) solidified their first-place standing in the West and proved once again that they are an elite force in the NBA.
The Warriors took control from the very beginning, jumping to a 19-point lead in the first frame which later ballooned into a 25-point lead at halftime. The Hawks made a valiant effort in the second half to rally back and win the game but they just couldn’t overcome the Warriors’ lead.
Veteran guard Andrew Wiggins was the team’s leading scorer in this game with 27 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 blocks on 70.6% shooting. Stephen Curry wasn’t far behind him with 23 points, 8 assists, and 4 rebounds on 4-6 shooting from three. In the frontcourt, Trayce Jackson Davis contributed 14 points and 11 rebounds at center while 4x champion Draymond Green delivered 9 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 blocks to finish with a team-high +29.
It was a rough game for the Hawks all the way through. Star point guard Trae Young scored just 12 points and 11 assists on 33% shooting while Jalen Johnson had 15 points, 14 rebounds, and 4 assists in 34:59 minutes. No. 1 overall pick Zaccharie Risacher put up 12 points, 8 rebounds, and 2 assists on 4-10 shooting.
The game went about how you’d expect for two teams on opposite ends of the totem pole. The Hawks, at 7-9, have been painfully mediocre this year while the Warriors (11-3) appear to be in a position to make another title run. For Golden State, this game was just further evidence of their status as one of the best teams in the NBA right now.
Championship Defense Has Returned
During the peak of the Warriors dynasty, it was their defense that often made the biggest difference during games. This season, a top-five defensive rating has powered their hot start and the Hawks were their latest victim.
As a team, the Hawks shot just 33% from the field and an abysmal 26.1% from three (12-46). They also turned the ball over 17 times. In short, the Warriors had them on lock and it was reminiscent of their defense from the early championship days.
Between the loss of Klay Thompson, the play of key contributors like Wiggins and Jackson-Davis, and the impact of Draymond Green, it seems like the Warriors have managed to redefine their defensive identity and it’s working wonders so far this season.
Andrew Wiggins Is The X-Factor
In the past, the Warriors have been decimated by the unavailability of several key players, including Andrew Wiggins who missed a chunk of time to deal with a personal family matter. But lately, Wiggins has started to reflect more of the version we saw during the 2022 title run.
Tonight, he carried the Warriors offensively with 27 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 blocks on 70.6% shooting. He went 3-6 from three and was second on the team in minutes (behind only Stephen Curry at roughly 30 minutes of playtime).
When Wiggins has it going, the Warriors are extremely tough to beat and we saw it against the Hawks. The Dubs were like a well-oiled machine on the floor and the combined hot shooting of Wiggins and Steph was simply too much for the Hawks to even hope to keep up with.
Strength In Numbers
Over the past few years, Stephen Curry has had to carry a massive burden just to keep the Golden State Warriors afloat and their depth was a major concern heading into this campaign. But now, it seems that Curry is finally getting the help he deserves.
Head coach Steve Kerr went deep into his bench tonight, with 11 players getting over 10 minutes, including Kyle Anderson, Moses Moody, Brandin Podziemski, and Kevin Looney. The Warriors got contributions from many sources in this game and it’s a reflection of how much has changed from last year.
As arguably the deepest team in the NBA, the Warriors have so many weapons on both ends of the floor and it makes them highly versatile against any opponent.
Since the season is still so young, it wouldn’t be wise to make any major conclusions on the results but with the way things are looking right now, the Warriors have a good chance to be the last team standing this season when it’s all said and done. Of course, Draymond Green already knew that this group has championship potential and now he’s going to do whatever it takes to help them capture their fifth NBA championship.
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