Is it the beginning of the end for Golden State's championship core?
The situation has gone from bad to worse for the Golden State Warriors as several key players are not playing up to expectations. Also, their emotional leader in Draymond Green received a five game suspension for putting Minnesota Timberwolves Center Rudy Gobert in a headlock. Worst of all, the Warriors are currently on a 6 game losing streak after suffering back to back home losses to the Oklahoma City Thunder. After a promising 6-2 start, the Warriors have been struggling ever since for even more reasons than I previously mentioned as the Warriors simply don't look like the team that has dominated the NBA the last several years.
Outside of the superstar play of Steph Curry, who is averaging 30.2 points per game, the second leading scorer is Klay Thompson who is averaging just 14 points, his lowest scoring average since his rookie season. Even more surprising has been Klay's uncharacteristic low shooting percentage as he is currently shooting a career low 33% from three point range. Also, with Klay in the final year of his contract it could be the end of an era for the Warriors if his offensive struggles continue. Other key players struggling offensively include Andrew Wiggins, Chris Paul along with Jonathan Kuminga; who has not made the leap he appeared to be on the verge of in preseason. Due to the Warriors offensive struggles, their has been a lack of a consistent second option to go alongside Curry. With the Warriors currently 10th in the West, they are in danger of continuing to slide as they face a tough scheduled ahead with upcoming games against talented teams like the Suns and Kings.
Thunder rising: Have the Thunder arrived as a contenders in the west?
The Oklahoma City Thunder came into the season with a level of hype that is uncommon among young teams in the NBA. Fortunately for them and NBA fans they are living up to the hype as they are one of the most exciting teams in the NBA and looking very impressive as they sit at second in the west. Their young superstar point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has looked like an MVP candidate early on in the season as he leads his Thunder team to impressive wins while being the fifth leading scorer in the NBA at 29.8 points per game.
Another player making a lot of headlines has been the rookie Chet Holmgren who has made an immediate impact as a rookie and is a favorite to win rookie of the year so far this season. Holmgren had his best performance of the season so far in a thriller against the Warriors where he hit a ridiculous game tying shot to send the game to OT. He dropped 36 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists in a incredible win and showed off his versality and why he is superstar potential written all over him.
As a team, the Thunder are not only living up to the hype so far but looking like one of the best teams in the league. They are currently the fifth ranked offense in the league at 119.6 points per game and also have the most efficient offense which is outstanding for a young team. The Thunder have the highest field goal percentage in the NBA at 50.3% which is slightly ahead of the defending champion Denver Nuggets. If they are able to maintain this level of play the Thunder will very likely finish as a top 4 seed in the west and be primed for a legit playoff run where their maturity and lack of playoff experience will be tested.
Streaking Kings: Sacramento on league best win streak
I previously wrote an article before the seasons started about the Sacramento Kings and why I believe they can build off their success from last season. So far, the Kings are not only building off their success but cultivating a winning culture that the franchise has not had for a long time. Right now, the Kings are not just the best NBA team in California but one of the best in the entire league as they are currently on the longest active win streak in the league with six wins in a row. During their streak they've come away with some major wins with their best being a blowout win over the Mavericks in Dallas.
Their young guard De'Aaron Fox is starting to play at the superstar level I predicted he would during the offseason. In the 7 games he has played so far this season, the Kings have lost just one game while Fox is averaging a career high 31.9 points per game along with shooting a career high 41.7% from three point range. His All-NBA teammate Domantas Sabonis has also been playing at a high level with career highs in scoring and rebounding at 20.8 points per game and 12.9 rebounds per game. With an excellent supporting cast in Malik Monk, Keegan Murray and Kevin Heurter the Kings look like a team that's ready to take the next steps as a playoff contender.
Game of the week- Kevin Durant drops a game high 39 points along with 10 assists in a double overtime instant classic on the road in Utah. Lauri Markkanen puts up a spectacular 38 point 17 rebound double-double performance in the loss.
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