In judgment of the Warriors' hot start

There are some factors which may or may not be sustainable. Let's explore.

In judgment of the Warriors' hot start

Good morning. Let’s basketball.


Landscape with Polyphemus; Nicolas Poussin; 1649

After a hot start that included a few wins with Stephen Curry in street clothes, the Warriors faced an enormous road test last week: games in Boston, Cleveland and Oklahoma City.

Golden State came out of that hell trip 2-1, getting blasted by the unbeaten Cavaliers in between running out to big leads they almost gave up against the Celtics and Thunder. The Warriors are now 8-2, sitting tied for No. 2 in the West, just a half-game behind the Thunder team they just beat. For a team that won 46 games last year and got punted out of the play-in, lost a franchise icon in free agency and started the season with seven of their first 10 games on the road, this is a triumph.

But is it sustainable? Here are three questions with some plausible answers to get at that.