Are the Warriors contenders? Golden State passes major test with statement win over Celtics

If you were skeptical of the 6-1 record the Golden State Warriors had jumped out to, you weren’t alone. The schedule was exceedingly soft, with wins over Portland, Utah, Washington and two more vs. a New Orleans team that has looked like a mess. 

But there were signs that something real was brewing. Those wins were not squeakers. They were blowing teams out with defense and depth, two typically stable identity markers. You thought a crack showed up in a 31-point blown lead to the Rockets, but the Warriors steadied themselves and Jonathan Kuminga pulled them through with an encouragingly assertive overtime effort. 

It showed that the Warriors could respond to unexpected adversity. It’s difficult to have to ramp back up to win a game you thought was already over. That overtime was a pop quiz of sorts as the Rockets had all the momentum. Golden State passed it and took another positive step forward. 

It all set up for a showdown in Boston on Wednesday, where the Warriors took their first true test against a top-shelf opponent. And man did they ever ace it, defeating the defending champion Celtics 118-112 while putting the stamp of validation on their early season success. 

Let’s keep this in perspective. We’re not even three weeks into the season. One win doesn’t make a team a contender. But it does mean that the Warriors can, on the right night, not only play with, but defeat anyone. They can do this, first and foremost, because they defend like crazy. 

So far only the Thunder are registering a better defensive rating than the Warriors, and the gap between Golden State and the No. 3 Rockets is an appreciable five points per 100 possessions. The Warriors are versatile, active, connected, and they kept themselves in the game on Wednesday despite an extremely poor offensive start with a high-pressure defense that held Boston to just 40 first-half points. 

Sure, the Celtics were missing Jaylen Brown and Kristaps Porzingis, the latter of whom is yet to play this season and isn’t expected to suit up until December. It took an A+ effort from the Warriors to beat a team that was missing two of its five best players. 

Golden State is not in Boston’s class. Don’t get that twisted. But they’re not as far off as you might think. They’re definitely one trade away from true contention. Who that trade target might be, and whether said player would even be available, is another topic for another day. 

For now, as constructed, the Warriors are clearly a team that is built to remain in the mix for a playoff spot, if not a top-four seed, for the duration. As long as Stephen Curry avoids a long injury absence, this is a team that can withstand injuries pretty much anywhere else because of their depth. Ten guys played at least 14 minutes in Boston. 

Keep in mind, the Warriors weren’t at full strength on Wednesday either. Brandin Podziemski didn’t play, and while he’s not Jaylen Brown, he has been, for the most part, excellent for Golden State this season. His absence was no small matter. Same goes for De’Anthony Melton, who is a starter and yet shockingly easy to forget with all the legit contributors the Warriors are bringing to the table. 

Curry, who finished 27 points, nine assists, seven rebounds and four steals, said it perfectly after the game: “I love the vibe that we have.” 

Indeed, the energy that is buzzing in the Bay right now feels a lot like the old Warriors, who played every night with the joy and urgency of a team still had something to prove, and that genuinely loved playing together. 

This team is having fun, plain and simple. It is playing for one another, and off one another, everyone reading and reacting as the ball pops around. Buddy Hield, who had four more 3-pointers on Wednesday, is playing out of his mind. Draymond Green is quarterbacking both ends of the court at an elite level. Andrew Wiggins is, dare I say, flirting with his 2021-22 form. Gary Payton II is a walking adrenaline hit. 

Moses Moody. Trayce Jackson-Davis. Kevon Looney. Lindy Waters. Kyle Anderson. Kuminga. There isn’t a single player anywhere in this rotation that isn’t playing extraordinarily well to start this season. Kerr cannot push a wrong lineup button right now. 

The tests will keep coming on this road trip with dates at Cleveland, which is 8-0, and Oklahoma City, which is the only team that can be credibly mentioned in the same breath as Boston. It’s hard to imagine, with the way the Warriors are playing right now, that they won’t find a way to compete in those two games. But even if things don’t go as well as they did in Boston, the evidence that we needed to see to validate this team as legit has been officially submitted. These Warriors have come out to play.