Thursday NBA Roundup: Warriors on Pace to Have Top Offense in League History

The Golden State Warriors were held in check by an inspired effort from Rudy Gobert during a 17-point third quarter, but they were their typical high-scoring selves for the other 36 minutes of Thursday night’s road matchup with the Utah Jazz. 

The result? Not just a 106-99 victory, but also further affirmation we’re watching the best offense this league has ever seen. Just think about the fact that you may be disappointed in 106 points from a team when, heading into Thursday’s action, only eight other squads were averaging so many points. 

This was exactly the kind of situation that should’ve resulted in offensive struggles for a typical scoring juggernaut: The Dubs were coming off a road game against the Los Angeles Clippers’ top-ranked defense one night earlier and traveling to higher altitude for a contest with the Jazz, who entered the affair sitting at No. 6 in defensive rating. Though Utah was missing plenty of key pieces, head coach Quin Snyder’s team always seems to prevent points. 

But at this point, it’s impossible to hold Golden State in check. 

Monday, Klay Thompson exploded for 60 points as the Warriors dropped 142 in regulation. Wednesday, they put up a 115-spot against a Clippers squad that had only allowed so many points in the Staples Center once all year. Thursday, they sprinted out of the gates to throw up 35- and 30-point quarters before halftime. 

What do you expect from a team that, as relayed by Nylon Calculus’ Nicholas Sciria, leads the league in so many different offensive categories? 

The Warriors are good at basketball. (via @utahjazz broadcast) pic.twitter.com/yrQnNhApKa

— Nicholas Sciria (@Nick_Sciria) December 9, 2016

Utah got to witness all the different weapons, even suffering as Patrick McCaw came off the bench to score in double figures for the first time.

Kevin Durant was unfair (as always), going for a smooth 21 points, 11 rebounds and four assists on 7-of-15 shooting, which was highlighted by this ferocious slam in traffic: 

Draymond Green flirted with a triple-double (13 points, 10 rebounds, eight assists and four steals), and he might have gotten there if he didn’t have to retreat to the locker room with a foot injury that kept him out briefly. Thompson couldn’t find his outside stroke, but Stephen Curry made up for it with 26 points, five rebounds and two assists.

How do you stop this? 

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Or this? 

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Or, better still, this type of defensive effort and the accompanying transition performance? 

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Golden State is a machine. 

It records assists on nearly every one of its made buckets, racking up dimes more efficiently than the Coinstar kiosk in your local grocery store. It doesn’t turn the ball over too frequently, given how many possessions it uses during its average contest. It’s solid at earning and making free throws, and the same applies to its offensive-rebounding proclivities. 

Different night, similar storyWarriors up 65-46 on wounded Jazz team at halftimeGSW has 19 assists on 25 made FGs

— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) December 9, 2016

But most importantly, it can shoot the basketball. 

You never know from which direction the damage will come, but come it will. Someone is going to rain down threes, and plenty of others will capitalize on the inevitable spacing to put together efficient performances around the rim. That, more than anything else, is why NBA Math’s numbers had the Warriors entering Thursday as the best offensive team in NBA history: 

Best Adjusted Offensive Ratings in NBA HistoryCreate column charts

This won’t change. 

If anything, the Warriors will keep distancing themselves from the pack as they learn to maximize their unique talents. Remember, we still haven’t seen that one special game where Green, Durant, Curry and Thompson are all …

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