A hot start is one thinga dime a dozen, all sports considered.But when a seasons opening stretch becomes historically hot' Thats when all eyes become fixed, rather than merely fleeting.With their 105-98 road win over the Dallas Mavericks Saturday afternoon, the Golden State Warriorsnow 20-2 following a 15th consecutive W and with no signs of slowing downhave made exactly that leap.The production came from predictable places, with Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson combining for 54 points on 19-of-43 shooting (including 8-of-22 from distance) and the revelatory Draymond Green (20 points and eight rebounds) leading the onslaught.Playing without sturdy center Andrew Bogut, out temporarily after having his right knee drained, the Warriors seized control early and held on despite a furious second-half onslaught from Dirk Nowitzki and Co.Needless to say, Golden State is hoping Saturdays quasi-collapse doesnt become a writ-large harbinger for what has been, to date, one of the NBAs all-time best starts to the season.Just how rare is the air the Warriors are breathing' ESPN Stats & Info explains:To call the expectations high would be an understatement. For these Warriors, anything short of a Finals foray would, at this point, be an opportunity lost. Particularly given the gruesome gauntletnow and in the near futurethat is the Western Conference.Time will tell whether Golden State can make golden good on its doubtless palpable promise.But its in how the Warriors are dispatching the oppositionutterly, thoroughly, on both sides of the ballthat bodes best for their Larry OBrien designs.To wit: Through its first 22 tilts, Golden State was registering top-five numbers in the following categories (per NBA.com, subscription required for media stats): Offensive rating (fifth), defensive rating (first), net rating (first), assist ratio (third), true-shooting percentage (second) and overall plus-minus (first), just to name a few.Not that such two-way prowess is anything new for these Warriors; they very nearly registered ORtg and DRtg top 10s last season as well. Rather, its the degree of dominance thatquite understandablyhas the rest of the league teetering on its heels. And the Warriors' dominance was the focal point of many conversations on Twitter:All of the above-mentioned members of the 20-2 club could boast something similar, of course. Be it during a particular stretch or as a matter of championship makeup.Whats a bit more difficult, however, is pinpointing precisely where on that pace-setting spectrum Golden State falls.Statistically speaking, the1995-96 Chicago Bulls remain the gold standard: first in offensive efficiency (115.2), first in defensive efficiency (101.8), best regular-season record in league history (72-10) and arguably the greatest tandem to ever play the game (Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen), all in the service of a fourth banner in six years.Coherent and cohesive as these Warriors have been, its hard to see them besting the Bulls beatific feat. Not without the luxury of two expansion teams (as were the Toronto Raptors and Vancouver Grizzlies) diluting the talent pool.Teams like the 1948-49 Washington Capitols and 1966-67 Philadelphia 76ers seem far too arcane for fruitful comparison. Meanwhile, the 1990-91 Portland Trail Blazers and 1993-94 Houston Rockets each had the specter of Jordans Bulls hanging over their heads. For the Blazers it was in terms of an inevitable Finals run-in and for the Rockets it was as a function of the void left behind during Jordans two-year hiatus.That makes the 2008-09 Boston Celtics Golden States most obvious comp, chronologically as well as statistically (Doc Rivers crew finished the season fifth in ORtg and second in DRtg).Following the best two-loss start in league history (27-2), the Celticswho despite dropping seven of their next nineappeared poised to punish their way to a second consecutive NBA title. Sadly, Garnett would miss the entire postseason with a right-knee injury, as Boston succumbed to eventual East champs the Orlando Magic in the conference semifinals.The Celtics fall remains one of the biggest what-ifs in recent memory. More immediately, it serves as a cautionary check for Golden States own charmed start.While the Dubs dont exactly tout an obvious Garnett analog, their finely tuned chemistry is such that any injury to a major contributorbe it Curry, Thompson, Bogut or even Greencould easily compromise Golden States fairy-tale travels, if not outright derail them.Good thing, then, that first-year head coach Steve Kerr has made it his mission to oversee a team that doesnt merely make the most of its top-tier talent, but it is dynamic enough to make up for the occasional wrench in the gears. And Kerr praises his team for its talent (via Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.com):From Bleacher Reports Zach Buckley:He puts his players in positions where they are most comfortable:Bogutat the elbow, Shaun Livingston on the low block, Harrison Barnes flashing to the basket,MarreeseSpeightsnear the top of the key.Guys that are capable and comfortable initiating the offense, a list that includes Curry, Thompson,Andre IguodalaandDraymondGreen, are allowed and encouraged to do so.Still the teams hot start isnt without its basic caveats: Prior to Saturdays Mavericks matinee, the Warriors had played the leagues 17th-most difficult schedule in terms of opponent win percentage (.496).The good news being that 13 of their first 22 games have been away from the friendly confines of Oaklands Oracle Arena.Its too simplistic to say these two mathematical minutia merely cancel each other out, less so which of the two might prove the better bellwether.With three of their next five games coming on the road, itll be interesting to see whether Golden State can threatenor perhaps even usurpBostons incendiary start. Ditto if the Warriors gangbusters play can be parlayed into playoff magic, despite one of the best top-to-bottom conferences the league has ever seen.For a fanbase long mired in mediocrity, though, the current streak is well worth savoring. Although not as much, perhaps, as a Finals sip that somehow feels just as hot.
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