USA - Golden so far

OAKLAND (NBA) - No one saw the Golden State Warriors morphing into one of the best teams in the Western Conference this year, especially with Andrew Bogut out of action again with an injury.

The Warriors sent Monta Ellis in a trade to Milwaukee last season that brought them Bogut but Australia's two-time Olympic center has only played four games, the last on 7 November.

Golden State, though, who are led by coach Mark Jackson, have gotten off to their best start since the 1991-92 campaign.

There is a toughness on the boards that seems to have been missing in years past, and players that are making big plays.

A couple of key men have Team USA connections.

David Lee, a former New York Knick who's been on the books of the Warriors since 2010-11, has been in the USA pool of players during the Jerry Colangelo and Mike Krzyzewski era before, yet has never made the American squad for a FIBA event or an Olympics.

Another Warrior, Stephen Curry, was a member of the United States' gold-medal winning side at the 2010 FIBA World Championship.

Lee has averaged 18.8 points and 11.2 rebounds per game, numbers that are not too much different from the past.

What he has been able to do, though, is come up with big plays.

"He's closing games with garbage plays, rebounds, big shots," Curry said.

"He was probably seen as a stat-stuffer. I know last year and the year before, you'd look up and he'd have 28 and 15, and you're wondering how that happened. And we were losing."

The Warrior wins are giving Lee more credibility.

Lee says he doesn't care about the statistics, that the only thing that matters are the wins.

What he also says is important is being consistent.

"Anybody can go out and have a couple good games," he said to the San Jose Mercury News.

"But to produce game in and game out is the most difficult thing in this league. I feel like I've done that.

Curry, who spent much of last season injured and on the sidelines, is giving the team a boost with his scoring but also work on the boards, and assists.

The 24-year-old is shooting 43.3% from behind the arc and averaging 20 points per game.

He has poured in 20 or more points, in fact, in eight straight outings.

Their good play has rubbed off on the other Warriors and the result has been nine wins from their last 11 games.

Golden State have the fifth best record (14-7) in the Western Conference.

According to Lee, Golden State have to be taken seriously because they are well coached, have a good game plan, and a lot of depth.

Other contributors have been Jarrett Jack, Harrison Barnes and Carl Landry.

Jackson, who was a winner in his days as the point guard of the Knicks, talked about his squad after its latest triumph, a 104-96 victory at Charlotte.

“There are no limitations on this team,” he said.

“They’re all committed and everybody hangs on to the rope.”

FIBA