After their hideously glorious 91-86 victory over the Thunder on Sunday, the Warriors possess a 10-2 record for the first time in their 69-year history, first in Philadelphia and since 1962 in the Bay Area.
That's what we know of Steve Kerr's new Warriors, and it's quite impressive.
But this is what we learned about these Warriors during the game: Andrew Bogut, often identified as the team's "defensive anchor," is no less essential to the smooth operation of the Steve Kerr/Alvin Gentry offense.
When Bogut left the game in the first quarter with a bruised right eye socket, it seemed to toss his teammates into disarray. The offense that was so fabulous through the first three weeks of the season suddenly struggled to get a good shot, much less make one.
Gone was the constant movement and precise passing, so much of which begins with or orbits around Bogut. What appeared in its place looked an awful lot like aimless uncertainty, if not utter confusion.
"We were out of whack without Bogs,' we’re so used to playing through him that a good chunk of our offense was taken out of the game," Kerr conceded.
"But this is the NBA. They're without Westbrook and Durant."
The absence of stars Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant allowed the Warriors to fight off the outclassed Thunder. Defeat surely loomed had either man been in uniform for Oklahoma City.
With Bogut down and the offense constipated, the Warriors turned to Marreese Speights. And he delivered. He's a radically different kind of big man than Bogut, who looks to pass and scores when opportunity presents itself.
Speights is a scorer first and foremost, and the Warriors needed every one of his game-high 28 points.
"Mo Speights, again, was ridiculous," Kerr said.
"Mo Money," forward Draymond Green said. "That's what I call him."
The nickname, once again, was fitting. While Speights was shooting 11-of-15 (61.1 percent), the rest of the Warriors were 22-of-75 (29.3 percent). On a night when Splash Brothers Stephen Curry (5-of-15) and Klay Thompson (6-of-20) never found rhythm, Speights salvaged the mess.
"He's getting the opportunity and playing confident and showcasing what he can do," Curry said. "It says a lot about him that he stayed ready, kind of being in and out of the rotation early in the season and in preseason. Now, stepping in the way he has, it's not surprising anybody.''
The early indications are that Bogut's injury is not serious; a postgame CT scan was negative and he is listed as questionable for the game against the Heat on Tuesday in Miami.
The Warriors will be delighted if he's back in action. Meanwhile, Kerr and Gentry have a couple days to consider adjustments. Based on Sunday's work, they'll have to make a few.
THE GOOD: Mo Money, Mo Buckets, Mo Jumpers. Speights' propensity to make midrange jumpers provides a delightful option that was necessary in this game.
The 10-2 record sparkles like a bag full of new coins.
Curry and Thompson combined for 14 assists, 11 rebounds and one turnover.
THE BAD: The ghastly shooting numbers by Thompson and Curry. It doesn't happen often, but it can be painful when it does.
The scoreless night by Harrison Barnes, which came just as it seemed he was on the verge of shedding his lapses of invisibility.
Festus Ezeli fouled out in 14 minutes. He can't afford to do that if Bogut is out for a significant amount of time.
THE TAKE: Elite NBA teams find ways to win ugly games. It's a requirement of reaching the top, and the Warriors are making the climb. But this was no simple ugly win. This one could be helpful insofar as it revealed a defect that needs attention.
Their first-unit offense, without Bogut, can be defended. Kerr and Gentry must develop a sound plan of attack for those nights, which seem inevitable, when there is no Bogut. Their plan on this night was Speights' raining jumpers. That won't always work.
