Right about now, I imagine Mark Jackson is blushing. David Lee, too. Andre Iguodala and Andrew Bogut should also be giggling. Stephen Curry, injured or not, might be chuckling as well.
Gregg Popovich, the San Antonio Spurs coach who offers up compliments about once a decade, said the Golden State Warriors are for real, according to USA Today‘s Sam Amick:
“Well they’re for real,” Popovich said of the Warriors. “They’re really good offensively, (and) obviously they’re very talented. They’ve got an inside and outside game, and they’re really capable of scoring. If that was just it, then you’d call them a dangerous team where on any given night they can do you in. But they’re beyond that, because (Warriors coach) Mark (Jackson) has done a hell of a job in giving them a mentality, an aggressive, physical mentality defensively.
“He’s been demanding in that regard, and fortunately he’s got a group of character guys who want to do it right and get to the next level, and that’s what it takes. He initiated that last year. That takes them from a dangerous team to a solid, competitive team that can play with anybody. That’s who they are. Now it’s just a matter of being persistent and consistent about that, and reducing mistakes and understanding that it’s a long season. They’re definitely on the right path.”
Coach Pop isn’t one to mix, mince or mistake words. When he says something, you listen intently, because not only does he mean it, he’s not going to say it again. So when he sings Golden State’s praises, we take him very, very seriously.
Not that we should have to take him seriously. Golden State is at the point where it doesn’t need Pop or anyone else’s validation. The Warriors are a title contender; a Western Conference powerhouse.
Sure, they’re only 4-3, but they’ve shown signs of blossoming on both ends of the floor. Save for the letdown against the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday night, they’ve proven savvy on both sides of the ball all season.
This is the same team that, once again, pushed the Spurs to the brink. The Warriors fell to Coach Pop’s crew 76-74 on Friday and while there are no moral victories in the NBA, they nearly upset San Antonio without Curry. They’re that good.
After being pummeled by the Grizz, it’s clear the Warriors have some kinks to work out. Memphis has the type of defense that can stifle any kind of attack. More troubling than the Warriors scoring only 90 points, though, was them allowing the oft-anemic offensive stylings of the Grizzlies to amass 108.
But we’re at the point—at least, I am—where losses like the former aren’t so much harbingers of incompetence as they are blips on the radar. Aberrations of a long season.
For the most part, these Warriors are still young and each game against a Western Conference contender is a learning experience. And forget the losses for a second. They’ve already destroyed the Los Angeles Lakers, gave the Los Angeles Clippers a scare while playing terribly and took down a surging Minnesota Timberwolves squad. Then there’s that Spurs game to consider.
Once they get fully healthy, consistency will follow suit. When that happens, look out.
Don’t make the mistake of counting out the Warriors. They’re here, they’re feisty and yes, they’re imperfect. But they’re not going anywhere.
Dan Favale is a firm believer in the three-pointer as well as the notion that defense doesn’t always win championships. His musings can be found at Bleacherreport.com in addition to TheHoopDoctors.com. Follow @danfavale on Twitter for his latest posts and all things NBA.
