RedState Sports Report: Are the Golden State Warriors Again the NBA’s Gold Standard?

Greetings from the sports desk located somewhere below decks of the Good Pirate Ship RedState. Sammy the Shark and Karl the Kraken assure us they are still diligently monitoring election results. However, in honor of this post’s main theme, they have requested a rerun of this thrilling photo showcasing them in dynamic sports action!

At least that’s what they call it.

Anyway, before we get to the current sports news, a nugget from Election Day. My best friend at the job where I toil when I’m not here is my polar opposite politically but a clone when it comes to hockey fanaticism, as in both of us being the kind of fans for which franchises pray. We ran across each other during lunch this past Tuesday, at which time the following exchange transpired:

ME: Well, tonight after work I’m going to go home, settle in, and watch the results come in from one of the, if not the, most important contests of our lives.

HIM: Oh … who are the Sharks playing?

For the record, it was the Columbus Blue Jackets, and Los Tiburones de San José won in overtime 2-1. Better yet, superstar rookie Macklin Celebrini was back in the lineup for the first time since opening night, during which he reaggravated a hip injury that had kept him out of action since. He lasted the entire game.

Okay, on to basketball. Much was made this past summer, in between Caitlin Clark stories, of the USA Olympics men’s team featuring the veteran talent of LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Steph Curry. Many gallons of digital ink were spilled then, and continue to pour forth, about how the gold medal they won in Paris will most likely be the last trophy any of them will receive in the twilight of their NBA days:

[T]he sun has about set on the two-decade run of dominance for this trinity. Durant is 35, Curry is 36 and James is 39. At least one of those three had made the second round of the playoffs every year since 2005; in 2017 and 2018, all three were in the NBA Finals. This season, they combined for one playoff win.

So, with the 2024-2025 NBA well underway, shall we see how the old guys are doing?

LeBron James wants to play all 82 regular season games.

After eight games, LeBron and the Los Angeles Lakers are 4-4. As of this post, James is averaging a mammoth 35 minutes per game, putting in 24 points per game, along with 6.9 rebounds and 7.5 assists. Those are solid numbers for any NBA player. A 40 year old? Say what you will about LeBron’s political and social views, but on the court, give the man his due.

Kevin Durant? The Phoenix Suns are 7-1. His current 27.8 points per game average is seventh in the league. He is logging even more court time than James, averaging 39 minutes a game. 6.8 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game round out his roundball averages. Did I mention the Suns are 7-1?

Finally, we have Steph Curry. Admittedly, I’m biased in his favor, as I have been a Warriors fan through thick and thin ever since they moved out west from Philadelphia when I was three. That duly noted, have you seen the man in action this season? Curry has missed three games with an ankle injury. He’s back now, and how. He has 21.2 average points per game in only 27.6 average minutes played per game. Assists? 7.0. Rebounds? 5.2. Team record? Like the Suns, the Warriors are 7-1.

The Warriors are presently on a major road trip, last night (November 6, 2024) stopping in Boston to face the defending champion Celtics. The game’s build-up included a large dose of chatter revolving around how Celtics superstar small forward Jayson Tatum was going to use the contest as a proving ground to Warriors head coach Steve Kerr, that Kerr should have played Tatum a lot more than he did during the Olympics. 

Tatum did score 32 points, so he showed his worth. The Warriors used the contest as a proving ground to silence the critics yapping that their glory days have long since passed, winning 118-112. Curry, unsurprisingly, led the Warriors in minutes played (34) and points scored (27). He also had nine assists and seven rebounds.

Golden State has a deep roster and is unafraid to use it against any opponent. Only rookies Gui Santos and Pat Spencer saw no action against Boston. The most pleasant surprise for the Warriors this young season has been Buddy Hield. Hield has been traded four times in his now-nine year career. One can only wonder why, as he has filled the void left by Klay Thompson’s departure from Golden State and then some. In 29 minutes against the Celtics, Hield scored 16 points and had a plus/minus rating of +20 during his time on the Boston parquet. He has a higher percentage of three-point attempts made (50.7 percent) this season than the greatest three-point shooter of all time, namely Curry, who currently sits at 42.2 percent.

Yes, it’s early. Yes, there is still a ton of games remaining. However, even when adding these factors into the mix, it is clear that it is far, far too early to relegate LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Steph Curry to the “what once was” file. Old guys rule.