The Golden State Warriors are hot to begin the 2021-22 NBA season after being in eclipse for two years.
Miami Heat legend Dwyane Wade gave lots of credit to two of the team’s main pillars: Draymond Green and Stephen Curry.
.@DwyaneWade on the Warriors:
"I've gotten a better appreciation for Draymond Green since I've retired … I mean he's a point guard. Like he is one of the best playmakers in the game. But Steph Curry … he is one of the greatest to ever play this game." pic.twitter.com/GG1NLUa8qL
— First Take (@FirstTake) November 16, 2021
Coming off arguably his best season as a pro, Curry is continuing to burn up nets across the league. He is averaging 28.1 points and 6.7 assists per game.
Green, meanwhile, is still the emotional and spiritual leader of the Warriors, not to mention their Swiss Army knife. He is leading the team in rebounds and assists per game.
Thanks to the exploits of those two, Golden State has the best record in the NBA – all without five-time All-Star Klay Thompson, who is yet to return from a torn Achilles.
But the biggest key to the Warriors’ early success may be their defense. They rank at the top of the NBA in defensive rating, a throwback to a few years ago when their strong defense propelled them to three NBA championships in a five-year span.
Credit should be given to forward Andrew Wiggins, who has made massive strides in his defense since coming to Golden State a couple of seasons ago.
Wade’s former team isn’t doing too badly either. The Heat are currently 9-5 despite not being at full strength.
The former Heat superstar is now a part-owner of the Utah Jazz, a team that hopes to challenge the Warriors for Western Conference supremacy this spring.
