The Warriors are off to a 10-1 start — the best record in the league. They have the best net rating (by a couple of points), the top-ranked defense, and Stephen Curry playing like an MVP.
That’s faster than even Warriors’ optimists had them coming out of the gate — and most pundits had the Warriors lower than that (for the record, I picked them fifth in the West). Some had the Warriors out of the playoffs altogether. Steve Kerr said he noticed and made an Arya Stark from Game of Thrones list of media members who underestimated the Warriors.
Steve Kerr: “I’m like Arya from Game of Thrones. I have all the names of the media members who picked us to be outside the playoffs, and I’m just checking off the box.” 😂 pic.twitter.com/GweOMkJMGi
— Dime (@DimeUPROXX) November 12, 2021
That’s a brilliant reference.
For the half dozen of you who did not watch Game of Thrones, Arya was vengeance incarnate. A warrior at heart, her parents tried to force her into a “traditional” princess role, but when the Stark family line was crushed Arya became a faceless and ruthless bringer of revenge to everyone who wronged her house.
The Warriors have impressed in beating the teams in front of them, but they have played the easiest schedule in the NBA so far this young season (or, third easiest, depending on how you want to define it, but still a soft schedule). Give Golden State credit, they look much better with an elite defense and veteran players and shooters around Curry, such as Otto Porter and Nemanja Bjelica, who know how to take advantage of the space he creates. There also are breakout stars, such as Jordan Poole.
But the schedule gets tougher starting Friday against the Bulls, then with four games on the road including Brooklyn. The tests are coming.
While on that road trip, Kerr will be on the lookout for media members who doubted his Warriors.
