DALLAS – The Warriors spent the first month of the season searching for their first road win, the right player combinations and a bench identity.
A quarter of the way through the season, Golden State appears to be figuring it out and starting to look like the team many believed the reigning champs would be entering this season.
The Warriors have won two of their last four road games after dropping their first eight away from Chase Center. They almost made it three wins Tuesday night in Dallas but ultimately couldn't hold off the Mavericks and Luka Doncic, who put up his fifth triple-double of the season.
Within that loss, though, was a sign of the progress the Warriors have made. The second unit, which had been sputtering to start the season, was plenty productive. It was the most cohesive that group has looked all season.
A storyline that emerged in the first few weeks of the regular season was that the Warriors' starters, the best five-man lineup in the league this season, almost always were in the green in the plus/minus category on the box score, while the reserves finished in the red.
That wasn't the case in Dallas. The two groups flipped, with the starters struggling through an off shooting night while the reserves did more than just hold down the fort.
The revamped second unit, anchored by starter Draymond Green, also went on runs to open the second and fourth quarters that kept the Warriors in the game.
"I know there's been a lot of talk about their performance and the scrutiny and all that, but if they play like they did [Tuesday night], we'll be a hell of a team," Stephen Curry said.
Green deserves kudos for what he's done to stabilize the second unit. Coach Steve Kerr, in dire need of a solution to the young bench's troubles, turned to the seasoned veteran in the Warriors' Nov. 20 win over the Houston Rockets and tasked him with getting that group right.
Since the change, the Warriors have gone 4-2, with one of those losses coming the next night in New Orleans as the starters sat out.
Green's presence has added a layer of comfort and leadership for the reserves, who are still learning to play with one another.
"With the second group, their confidence was kind of waning a little bit," Green said, "and they're getting confidence back."
Green barks orders on defense, pushes the pace and facilitates, which has helped get Jordan Poole going. It's also an added bonus that Jonathan Kuminga is settling into his role, two-way forward Anthony Lamb continues to play well and ball-hounding defender Donte DiVincenzo is getting more acquainted with his teammates after missing eight early games with a hamstring injury.
"It's uplifting to see guys starting to figure it out and coming along because ultimately it's going to help us win games," Green said. "But more importantly, it allows guys to get the proper rest so you're now expending more than you need to expend in Game 22. So it's beautiful to see."
Kuminga has been especially impressive. His recent shift in mindset – going from wanting to put up flashy numbers to focusing on the details and playing aggressive defense – has resulted in him playing some of the best basketball of his young NBA career.
Over the last three games, Kuminga is averaging seven points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.3 blocks while shooting 69.2% from the field. But it's what the 20-year-old has been doing that doesn't show up on the stat sheet that's earned him praises from Kerr and Green.
Poole is also gradually becoming more consistent. He's had an uptick in production over the last five games, averaging 17.2 points, 5.2 assists and 2.2 rebounds.
Add in Lamb's reliability and DiVincenzo's jolt of energy and ball pressure off the bench, and the Warriors' second unit is humming.
"They found a good groove," Kerr said. "We're only going to get better from here."
A downside? James Wiseman has nothing to do with the recent success. The former No. 2 overall pick has been with Santa Cruz for more than two weeks now refining every aspect of his game with no clear timetable to rejoin the big-league Warriors.
Golden State is 2-10 on the road but .500 overall. The team sits in 10th place in the crowded Western Conference standings but seems to be turning a corner.
"We're in a really good spot," Kerr said. "We have kind of rounded into form. Our bench has an identity."
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