Twelve games into the season, the Golden State Warriors have the third best record in the NBA. They sit atop a competitive Pacific Division that many thought would be won by the Los Angeles Clippers at season's end. While the majority of the season lies ahead, the Warriors have certainly established themselves as title contenders in the Western Conference.
The Memphis Grizzlies and Toronto Raptors are the only teams in the NBA with better records than Golden State. The Grizzlies have been the best team in the league to this point, overpowering opponents with a dynamic duo in the post. The Warriors, on the other hand, have done it with their strong shooting, ranking second in the league in points per game. Stephen Curry leads the team with a 23.3 points per game average, closely followed by Klay Thompson, who is averaging 22.6.
Both shooters started the season red hot and have since received help from teammates Draymond Green and Harrison Barnes. Green, who proved to be a valuable asset last season, has started all twelve games for the Warriors and has been effective rebounding as well as providing a scoring threat offensively. The second-year man is emerging as a strong shooting forward with the ability to chase Curry and Thompson on the stat sheet. Another player in his second NBA season, Barnes is averaging 12.0 points per game and has also contributed to the team's strong rebounding. He is shooting over fifty percent from the field.
A strong factor in the Warriors ability to compete among the elite teams in the Western Conference is their depth. Headlining a strong bench is Marreese Speights, who reached season-high marks last week with 24 points and 9 rebounds against the Los Angeles Lakers. He has been the sixth-man favorite on a Warriors team that is lead by young emerging talents. Andre Iguodala, who has yet to start a game this season, is having a down year, averaging just 6.8 points per game, but has provided a spark in multiple games this season. His ferocious dunking ability forces opponents to keep the 30 year-old under wraps to avoid any in-game momentum shifts. Leandro Barbosa and Shaun Livingston have successfully relieved the duo of Curry and Thompson at the guard positions.
Center Andrew Bogut, who played in 67 games last season and missed the postseason because of injury, seems to be back at full health. He is leading the team in rebounds, which is something the Warriors longed for in a narrow loss to division rival Los Angeles Clippers in the first round of last season's playoffs. David Lee performed well without Bogut, but has only played in one game this season as a result of a nagging hamstring injury. While Marreese Speights has stepped up nicely, Lee will only add to the depth in the paint once he is able to play. Upon his return, a healthy Warriors lineup, lead by new head coach Steve Kerr, will make some serious noise in the Western Conference.
The combination of depth and a balanced scoring attack led by Thompson and Curry allows the Warriors to match most Western Conference powerhouses. The playoffs are months away, but, to this point, the Warriors look poised to compete for the top seed as a potential Finals favorite.