The Dubs have a weekend off!
It wasn’t always smooth, and it wasn’t always pretty, but the Golden State Warriors put together a mighty fine week, winning all three of their games, seeing Klay Thompson really start to gel, and, most excitingly, having Andrew Wiggins get selected alongside Steph Curry as an All-Star starter.
It was a lot! But it was all good.
So let’s look back further on the week that was, and look ahead towards yet another three-game week.
Where they stand
Record: 37-13
Standing: 2nd seed in the West, 3.5 games behind the Phoenix Suns
Offensive rating: 15th (111.5)
Defensive rating: 1st (103.9)
Net rating: 2nd (+7.7)
Team ratings are garbage-time adjusted, courtesy of Cleaning The Glass.
Weekly recap
Tuesday: Beat the Dallas Mavericks 130-92
Thursday: Beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 124-115
Saturday: Beat the Brooklyn Nets 110-106
An undefeated week is always a good thing, and this particular one featured a phenomenal game against Dallas, in which the Dubs played some of their best basketball all year. They kept that going enough to cruise by the Timberwolves, and then eked by a Nets team that was without Kevin Durant and James Harden.
They didn’t gain any ground on Phoenix, as the Suns also had a 3-0 week … but, crucially, they didn’t lose any ground, either.
Performance of the week
Andrew Wiggins vs. the Wolves: 19 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, 2 blocks, 7-for-12 shooting, 5-for-8 threes, 0-for-2 free throws.
Wiggins had standout performances against both Minnesota and Brooklyn, but his game vs. the Wolves might be the most memorable of his career. He was named a first-time All-Star just a few hours before suiting up against his old team, and then he had a brilliant performance. He picked his spots on offensive, scoring aggressively and efficiently, and made plays for his teammates without a single turnover. His defense was stellar, and he fit the role asked of him perfectly.
Just a wonderful night.
Honorable mention goes to …
Jonathan Kuminga vs. the Mavs: 22 points, 5 rebounds, 8-for-9 shooting, 4-for-4 threes, 2-for-2 free throws.
The rookie showed how bright the future is against Dallas, but he also showed how bright the present is. He scored in every which way, with mesmerizing skill, violent athleticism, veteran finesse, and timely aggression.
Highlight of the week
How about a pair of passes, in the same game, by Klay “Magic Johnson” Thompson?
Klay has been having lots of fun with the behind the back pass tonight. Here he hits Kuminga for a huge dunk in garbage time pic.twitter.com/ThTiDYeEpS
— Kelly O’Meara Morales (@_itskellyo) January 26, 2022
KT behind the back to a Wiggs and-1?!
Must see TV.
@NBAonTNT pic.twitter.com/M5OcK7pQyG
— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) January 26, 2022
This week’s schedule
Monday: @ Houston Rockets (14-35), 5:00 p.m. PT
Tuesday: @ San Antonio Spurs (19-32), 5:30 p.m. PT
Thursday: vs. Sacramento Kings (18-33), 7:00 p.m. PT
Three games against three bad teams. That means the week can go only one of two ways: really smoothly, or really frustratingly.
Easiest game of the week
Thursday vs. the Kings.
These three teams are all bad, but the Warriors get to go home to play the Kings, and they’ll do it against a Sacramento team in complete disarray. The Kings are currently on a six-game losing streak, with just two wins in their last 13 contests. There’s a pretty good chance that they march into Chase Center with eight straight defeats.
Just as bad, nearly every Sacramento player is on the trading block, with the deadline a week after their game in San Francisco. Rumors and reports will be swirling, and it’s hard to imagine too many Kings players are going to be focused and giving it their all.
Hardest game of the week
Tuesday vs. the Spurs.
I’m tempted to say the Houston game given that the Dubs needed a Steph Curry buzzer-beater just a week and a half ago to beat the Rockets at home. But San Antonio always plays the Warriors tough, and has a win over Golden State this year (at Chase Center, no less). The Dubs will also be on the back end of a road back-to-back, meaning they’ll be a little exhausted, and Klay Thompson will likely rest.
Prediction time!
In last week’s review/preview, 31% of you correctly predicted that the Dubs would sweep the week. 46% anticipated a 2-1 week, while more than 20% thought the Dubs would have a losing week.
Let’s try again.