The Golden State Warriors made it to the playoffs last season and they were a team that no one really wanted to face. However, it’s hard to not look at their 2013-14 NBA season without a trace of disappointment. With the talent throughout their roster, this should be a team that could potentially be competing for a championship, not just being a tough out in the postseason.

With Steve Kerr now leading the way from the head coaching position, title-contenders seems to be exactly where the Warriors are heading. Golden State has started their season with a 14-2 record and sit only a half-game out of the top spot in the West.

It’s hard not to look at Kerr as the catalyst for how well the Warriors have started the season. Mark Jackson seemed to maximize this team defensively, but never could get their offense to fully click, as impossible as that may seem for a team that has Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson in the backcourt. Kerr, however, has this team playing phenomenally on both ends of the floor on a consistent basis.

In terms of the actual players on the court, it all starts with Curry. The point guard is continuing to impress and is making an early case for a dark-horse MVP run. Thompson has shown improvement as well, starting already to live up to the big extension he signed at the start of the season.

A big part of their success, though, has been the contributions of their role players. Guys like Draymond Green and Marreese Speights have come up big on numerous occasions for this team. They certainly deserve credit for their roles while Kerr deserves praise as well for putting those role players in positions to succeed.

The potential of this team has always been apparent, but they are coming close to reaching their peak in their first month under Kerr and the first month of this season. If they continue this level of play for the entire season, it’s hard not to consider them one of the favorites for the championship this year.

Final Grade: A