SAN FRANCISCO – It might be too premature, but the Golden State Warriors look like one of the best teams in the Western Conference, let alone the NBA.
The early results indicate that at the very least, they are one of the hottest in the association. The Warriors have won eight straight games after blowing out the New Orleans Pelicans, 138-87, at Chase Center in San Francisco on Monday, Nov. 9. Stephen Curry and Brandin Podziemski each scored 25 points.
Golden State extended their win streak to eight games and advanced to 8-3 after an 0-3 start to the season which caused many to panic. Guard De'Anthony Melton told USA TODAY Sports for a split moment the team was in a "dark place" after the slow start.
"We knew we couldn't win games and stuff like
that," Melton said after scoring 16 points in the win. "Nobody wants to see 0-3, but at the same time I think after we lost our third one, the next day the vibes were still high. Like we were 0-3 but we're still just enjoying being around, having fun, playing cards, stuff like that."
There was additional outside noise, chatter of where the Warriors might finish. They were already counted out to begin the year,projected to finish 41-41. When they got off to the 0-3 start, that's all they heard.
"It's hard not to hear it, but you don't ever play into it," Curry told USA TODAY Sports. "I know I've seen some memes with the towel over my head, staring into the distance, trying to figure out what, you know, we needed to do. People put an existential crisis on those looks. We hate losing. So you want to respond to all of that. You hear it, but, we've been around long enough to know, you gotta be able to block all that stuff out, just be who you are."
Everyone outside of the Bay Area might be surprised at the Warriors hot start. But within the team, they remained calm and poised. There was a needed regroup that contributed to their hot streak.
"We're doing all the things we need to to convince ourselves that we are the team we think we can (be)," Curry said. "You know, starting 0-3, like, nobody's panicking, but it's still a feeling that you don't like where you haven't been rewarded for the effort that you're putting in."
The jury is still out on whether the Warriors are turning the page to becoming a great team, but Curry likes the direction they're heading in.
"My take is that we're a very resilient team and that matters to become part of a good, maybe a great team down the stretch of the year," Curry said. "If you can withstand some rough nights, whether shooting the ball, turnovers, or whatever, still find a way to win... I'm proud of everything we're doing. We just gotta keep it going."
Early grade for the Golden State Warriors: "B"
There have been enough games to have a sample size of the Warriors' potential. Their first three games weren't enough to write them off, but they did display some fixable bad habits. One of their main concerns was taking care of the basketball. The Warriors turned the ball over 45 times in their first three games of the season.
Forward Draymond Green was asked to assess where the team is at through 10 games. Green told USA TODAY Sports he'd give them a "B" grade.
"I think we have a lot of things we can get better at. We're still not quite where we want to be, as far as turning the ball over," Green said. "We're executing better, but the execution isn't where we want it to be. Defensively, we've gotten a lot better since game one. That's been kind of our calling card right now and allowing us to win these games."
"A lot of room for growth, but yeah, no one's complaining, either," he added. "We're pretty… excited about where we are as a team, but it's equally as exciting (that) we have so much room to grow."
How Golden State turned things around early on
The Warriors don't look like the same team that began 0-3. They've since cleaned up their game and put attention into the small details of the game.
Defense. Grittiness. Connectivity.
Head coach Steve Kerr discussed the goal of being a top-10 team in both offense and defense. It's one of the traits that makes a championship team.
Golden State currently ranks 3rd in defensive rating (103.5) in the early 2026–27 NBA season, according to NBA Advanced Leaders.
"The whole thing is about our process," Kerr told USA TODAY Sports. "Can we take care of the ball? Can we execute offensively, get good shots for each other? And then defend like we have been in recent games, taking care of transition defense, taking away the easy stuff. So, it's not magic. We have a formula, and we're trying to get the guys to play to that formula, that standard night in and night out. We're on a good path, but this will be a great test for us on this road trip, so we'll see how we can do it."
Golden State has to lean into a team identity where there's a reliance upon every player, 1 through 15, to be ready when their name is called. The Warriors suffered losses to Brandon Williams and Will Richard, who will both seemingly be out for some time.
"We got guys that have been around the league, we always want to encourage them, if somebody's down, be ready to play," Melton said. "No matter what, it's the NBA, and we're trying to win games as a team because at the end of the day when we hold up the trophy, that's for everybody. So I think it's always going to be next man up."
Melton added that Curry, Green and Al Horford have breathed confidence into whoever is coming in the game to make an impact.
"(Curry) spoke to the team after the game (against the Magic) about the contributions of the bench," Kerr said. "He mentioned how much trust that he and the vets have in the young guys, and so we've got a good thing going. We've got a good vibe. Guys are all competing for each other. Playing really hard."
Offensively, the Warriors rank 5th in the NBA in offensive rating at 116.7 points per 100 possessions early in the season. They are led by Curry, their longtime superstar, but rookie Yaxel Lendeborg is making his imprint on the team as well, averaging 21.4 points and 7.2 rebounds.
"Our second best player right now is a rookie," Green said about Lendeborg. "He's gonna continue to get better. And as you can see, how good he's already made us, as he gets better, we'll continue to get better. But I think we got a lot of room for growth, and that's exciting."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Warriors have won eight straight games after blowing out Pelicans
