The Golden State Warriors are rolling right now. Riding a seven game winning streak and a victory away from going 4-0 on their first East Coast road trip of the season, the Dubs are starting to look more like the team we imagined they might resemble this offseason, especially on the offensive end.
In fact, from a scoring standpoint, the 2016-17 Warriors are putting up numbers we haven’t seen in over two decades, something that would bring a smile to former coach Don Nelson’s face. Via Marc Stein:
Golden State is averaging 116.8 PPG, something no team has managed since the Warriors, with Mullin and Hardaway, were at 118.7 PPG in ’91-92
— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) November 21, 2016
Nelson’s 1991-92 squad, affectionately nicknamed “Run-TMC”, was the first to popularize the fast paced, free-shooting offense that the current Warriors employ when they are firing on all cylinders. The 1991-92 team was a less efficient outfit than this year’s group, but averaged three more positions per game. If Nelly was coaching this team, it’s safe to say that scoring mark would be shattered.
The downside to running a fast-paced, quick-shooting offense, as Ron Adams pointed out, is that it can lead to easy transition opportunities on the other end, and hurt the defense overall. The 1991-92 Warriors allowed the most points per game and finished 20th out of 27 in defensive effiency. This year’s Warriors aren’t quite as bad in that category, but they’re close, currently allowing the 26th most points per game, and 20th out of 30 in defensive effiency.
Still the Warriors are outscoring their opponents by 8.2 points per game, the second highest total in the league, and nearly double what the Run-TMC Warriors were able to accomplish. This year’s Warriors also don’t even have the fastest pace in the league this season, with both Brooklyn and Phoenix averaging more possessions.
With three of the best shooters in NBA history sharing the floor at the same time, the Warriors have the potential to be not only the highest scoring offense of all time, but also the most efficient. If they can shore up some of their defensive issues in the process, they’ll become nearly unbeatable when the shots are falling.