Golden State Warriors climb to No. 2 in NBA.com power rankings

It’s been a dominant start to the season for the Golden State Warriors. While it’s clearly not surprising to them, some fans should feel a sigh of relief as this team didn’t add much firepower in the offseason.

What they did do is bring in high-IQ veterans like Andre Iguodala and Otto Porter Jr. that unsurprisingly make the right play the majority of the time. That’s allowed more open shots and more open lanes for the Warriors to slither into.

The Golden State Warriors have surged to a 3-0 start, and that’s placed them in the top tier of the league’s official power rankings.

Here’s how the author, John Schuhmann, started the section on the Warriors, who they have right behind the top-placed Utah Jazz.

"“Stephen Curry has been a worse-than-average shooter in two of their three games, and the Warriors are 3-0. They needed all of his 45 points (including one absolutely ridiculous go-ahead 3-pointer) against the Clippers on Thursday, but got by without spectacular performances from their top-75 guy against the Lakers and Kings. Jordan Poole has handled some of the scoring load and bench minutes have been mostly positive. Damion Lee has made shots and defended well,” Schuhmann wrote."

Schuhmann is right. While Curry was absolutely unstoppable against the Clippers, he wasn’t necessarily the catalyst of the offense against the Kings and Lakers.

It was more of a full team effort with huge contributions from players like Jordan Poole and newcomer Nemanja Bjelica. That’s exactly the difference between this team and what this Warriors franchise had a season ago.

Down the stretch last season, the Warriors needed everything Curry had. Now, it can be Poole, Porter Jr., Bjelica, Draymond Green, or many other players that step up when their number is called upon.

Curry is still going to get his say, and he should be good enough this season to once again get MVP consideration. However, the simple fact is that it’s not just a one-man show anymore, and that’s why Golden State has looked so fluid on both sides of the court.

The Warriors currently rank fifth in points per game and fourth in assists per game.

Shockingly, they also rank outside the top ten in turnovers per game, something that’s been considered a problem for the team. It’s been an impressive starting stint, and it should only get easier as the Warriors have a lofty number of home games within the next few weeks.

The depth, the scoring, and the leadership have bolstered the Warriors roster, making them one of the best in the NBA. And, per NBA.com, they’re the second best. For now, we’ll take it!