Warriors team defensive rating best in league since 04' Pistons
The Golden State Warriors have made one thing abundantly clear in the early part of the season.
The Dubs are going to hang their hats on the defensive end of the floor.
Look no further than Wednesday night when they held the Charlotte Hornets, the league's highest-scoring team, to a mere 92 points.
The Warriors have been flat-out getting it done on the defensive side of the ball. If you are a basketball aficionado, you remember the 03-04’ Pistons. A historic team that rose to supremacy based on their tenacious defense anchored by NBA legends Rip Hamilton, Chauncey Billups, Ben Wallace, and Rasheed Wallace. This team became a picture of what phenomenal team defense looks like and exactly how it can translate into winning championships.
Golden State currently has the lowest team defensive rating, at 97.8, since the 04’ Pistons squad, per Stat Muse. Also, they are currently tied for the league's best record at 6-1. The other two teams who they are tied with at 6-1, the Jazz and the Heat, hold the second and third-best defensive rating after the Warriors.
Great defense translates into great offense.
The Dubs are averaging 17 points off of defensive turnovers. Being able to capitalize on their opponent's mistakes has become a hallmark for this team and is a major reason they have started this season off so hot.
Where does it all start?
Enter Gary Payton Ⅱ, officially nicknamed “Young Glove” as an homage to his hall of fame father who went by “The glove”, has proven he is more than capable on the defensive side of the ball. Couple that with Steph playing the best defense of his career and Jordan Poole blossoming into an elite scorer this team looks ripe for championship contention.
While it is nice to be compared to the 04’ Pistons, it doesn't mean much in the way of how this season will go. The season is still very young, and there is still a boatload of games to be played. If the Warriors were content with early-season accolades, we would not have seen them win back-to-back titles. This veteran composed roster is mature enough to realize that the NBA season is not a sprint, but a marathon.
Additionally, the Dubs are doing something very reminiscent of the 2015 championship team. Both 2015 and 2021 teams were very good on the defensive end of the floor. The 2015 Warriors ended the year with the best Defensive rating. The offense will always be there for the Dubs so long as Curry is healthy, but what can take this team from good to great is going to have to come from the defense. Should the Warriors continue to defend at a high level, the sky is the limit for what this team can achieve.
(Photo credit: Marcio Jose Sanchez/Associated Press)