Warriors’ Biggest Surprises Through Opening 3 Weeks of 2021-22 NBA Season

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Order has been restored.

For the Golden State Warriors faithful, at least.

Rubber-banding from a two-year playoff drought, the Warriors are suddenly on top of the NBA again. Three weeks into the 2021-22 season, they are the only team with a .900 winning percentage. In fact, they are the only one clearing .800. And .750 too.

Granted, there’s some small-sample theater at play here, but there’s no denying Golden State looks great out of the gate. The following three pleasant surprises have played a part in that success.

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Gary Payton II wrapped his college career in 2016. He has been searching for a permanent NBA home ever since.

It’s possible he still doesn’t have one, by the way. The Warriors waived him before the season started and then re-signed him to a one-year deal that won’t fully guarantee before January. If his offense fails him as it has in the past, his start could soon be forgotten.

That isn’t said to diminish he is doing but rather to pinpoint how surprising this is. He has the widest net differential on the team, which sits at a wholly ridiculous plus-27.2 points per 100 possessions, per NBA.com. The defense gets predictably stingy when he hits the hardwood, but the offense gets a few extra peps in its step too thanks to his energy, activity and explosive athleticism.

After topping double-digit minutes once in his first six outings, he has played at least 17 minutes in each of his past four tilts. If he keeps influencing things on defense, on the glass and above the rim, his role has a chance to increase going forward.

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When the Warriors looked outside the organization in free agency, they put an obvious premium on experience. Reuniting with 37-year-old swingman Andre Iguodala made that directive most apparent.

Beyond service time, though, Golden State also prioritized splash rates. That seemed like the biggest draw to both Nemanja Bjelica and Otto Porter Jr., who both arrived in Northern California sporting career three-point connection rates north of 38 percent.

Turns out that the veteran sharpshooters had more accuracy in them. A lot more.

Porter, a career 40.2 percent three-point shooter, is knocking down 46.7 percent of his long-range looks. Bjelica, a 38.7 percent career shooter before this season, is splashing an absurd 57.9 percent of his threes. The percentages will regress at some point, but the early spikes have quietly played a big role in the team’s hot start.

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Entering the season, the Warriors seemed like they would find their greatest success on the defensive end. That has come to fruition, as Golden State leads everyone in defensive efficiency, per NBA.com.

But the offense is a lot closer to the defense than anyone would have expected. Much closer than it probably should be.

This is somehow the fifth-most efficient offense, even though Stephen Curry is having his worst shooting year and both Jordan Poole and Andrew Wiggins are struggling with inconsistency. It’s hard to understand.

Statistically, though, it’s not impossible to explain. No team takes more threes or shoots them at a higher clip. Only two clubs are ahead of the Warriors in field-goal percentage. Neither comes close to Golden State’s 30.3 assists per night. No one does a better job of making the whole greater than the sum of its parts, and that’s quite an accomplishment when the roster includes a two-time MVP who’s also the reigning scoring champ.