Don’t look now, but the Golden State Warriors are getting back to their best. After a concerningly slow start, the defending NBA champions have won five of their last six games as they steadily work their way up the Western Conference standings.
Meanwhile, the Dallas Mavericks dealt former point guard Jalen Brunson a heavy defeat, although they still have a big hole to fill in their team because of his departure. And a couple of up-and-coming young guards continued to show off their impressive scoring skills.
Read on below as SBOTOP shares three key takeaways from the most recent round of NBA games.
Warriors back to their winning ways
The defending champions Golden State Warriors improved to 13-11 on the season as they blew out to Houston Rockets 120-101 to win their fifth win in their last six games.
Playoff hero Andrew Wiggins erupted for a season-high 36 points on 8-of-10 shooting on 3-pointers. Not to be outdone, Stephen Curry had a double-double of 30 points (with 8 3-pointers) and 10 assists, while Jordan Poole added 21 points as he started in place of Klay Thompson, who sat out the second night of a back-to-back.
After a worrying 3-7 start, the Warriors appear to be alright after all. Thompson, who started the year in a massive shooting slump, has been playing much better, while Poole also seems to be turning the corner after his early struggles.
Granted, there are still some concerns about the bench, with second-year players Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody still struggling.
But with Stephen Curry still playing at a remarkably high level and the Western Conference not looking quite as strong at the top, the Warriors’ NBA 2022 odds of defending their title are looking much better than they did a couple of months ago.
Mavs beat Brunson, but they still miss him
The Dallas Mavericks faced off against former point guard Jalen Brunson for the first time since he left for the New York Knicks this offseason. And the Mavs got the better of Brunson and his Knicks as they won 121-100 at Madison Square Garden.
Luka Doncic was brilliant again as he had 30 points, 8 rebounds, and 7 assists in just 29 minutes. And he got some help for a change as Spencer Dinwiddie (17 points, 9 rebounds, 9 assists) and former Knick Tim Hardaway Jr (28 points, 8-13 3-PT FG) both had big games.
But despite the big win, the Mavs are still just 11-11 on the season as the glaring hole left by Brunson remains unfilled. Besides Doncic and Dinwiddie, there is no other player on the roster capable of driving the offence. The Mavs hope their signing of Kemba Walker can help solve this problem even though they admit the point guard’s knee is not good.
Dallas remain dangerous if they can make their 3-pointers – they hit 24 against the Knicks – but their shooting this season has been too inconsistent.
Having Brunson would have given them another dimension offensively. But Brunson is in New York now, and the Mavs must find a way to move on without him.
Shai and Simons show off sublime scoring skills
There are several incredibly gifted young scoring guards around the league producing plenty of NBA 2022 highlights, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Anfernee Simons are two of the best.
Gilgeous-Alexander has arguably been the biggest breakout star thus far this season. The Oklahoma City Thunder guard is averaging 31 points per game, third in the NBA, and he extended his current run of 30-point games to six straight games with 33 points to lead the Thunder past the Karl-Anthony Towns-less Minnesota Timberwolves.
Not to be outdone, Anfernee Simons is having a stellar season of his own. The 23-year-old Blazers guard is averaging nearly 24 points per game, and he just dropped a career-high 45 points as the Damian Lillard-less Blazers outdueled the Jazz 116-111.
The Thunder appear to be in good hands with SGA, who has seemingly taken the leap into a legitimate star. And the Blazers’ future is similarly bright with Simons, who is ready to take on a bigger role on the team as Damian Lillard continues to age.
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