Warriors persevere through growing pains, continue to improve

With an NBA-best record of 36-6, the Golden State Warriors are on pace to pile up nearly as many wins as they did last year, even though about a third of their roster is new.

Due to significant transformations in the team, with the addition of superstar Kevin Durant and the loss of key centers Andrew Bogut and Festus Ezeli, the Warriors hit a few difficulties early on in the season, even losing 129-100 against the San Antonio Spurs at home on opening night.

The expectations set for the Warriors before opening night were far too high for the amount of adjusting they still had to do. The 15-player lineup was even dubbed “The Super Team,” thanks to an animated video put out by Bleacher Report that went viral prior to the season. Because of all the hype surrounding the Warriors, I couldn’t wait to witness the most dominating and most extraordinary team the league has ever seen.

But no team is ever perfect. Yes, the Warriors have four of the best shooters in the NBA in their starting lineup, and yes, there were never any major rough patches, but the team lacked true chemistry for the first quarter of the season. The momentum and excitement the Warriors were known for was lost for a couple weeks, as the power among the four big players was not yet used to the best of its abilities.

Even though a 36-6 record never reflects badly upon a team, the Warriors were being heavily compared to their  48-4 record heading into the All-Star Break in 2016, which had included a 23-0 start. As I watched this season, the expectations I had held for the Warriors were replaced with those of reality.

There is still a chance that the Warriors can equal their regular season record from last year. Currently, the Warriors are on a four-game winning streak. They overpowered their rivals and defending champions, the Cleveland Cavaliers, on Jan. 16 in an exciting 126-91 win.

Looking ahead, I predict the Warriors will continue to  improve. Soon enough, every player will find their groove, and the team will dominate like the public predicted. Shake your heads if you want, but maybe we’ll set an even more historic season than last year’s 73-9 record. 74-8, anyone?