It appears rumors of the Golden State Warriors' demise were greatly exaggerated. Since the Warriors lost to the Los Angeles Lakers by 20 points on Nov. 4, they have uncorked an eight-game winning streak where they are outscoring their opponents by 16.3 points per game. ESPN Stats & Info takes a look inside Golden State's hot streak.
Sharing the ball
The Warriors have equaled their eight-game streak from last season of games with 30-plus assists. Those streaks are tied for second-longest all time, behind the 1988-89 Charlotte Hornets' 13-game streak. Tracking data shows the Warriors are moving the ball more often and effectively. They are averaging 318 passes per game during the streak, 20 more than their first six games, according to NBA SportsVU Player Tracking Data, which has opened up a lot of good looks.
Finding their groove with Kevin Durant
Many chalked up the Dubs' early losses to difficulty adjusting to Durant, but he has had little problem fitting in during the winning streak. Durant has looked to pass more during the streak, averaging 5.4 assists per game compared to 3.3 in the first six games of the season, while his teammates are shooting 69.4 percent off of his passes. Golden State is plus-105 in point differential when Durant has shared the floor with Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green. The "big four" were only plus-14 during the Warriors' first six games and have gotten 7 percent more open shots.
After a brief adjustment period, the Warriors are well on their way to being the juggernaut that everyone predicted they would be this season.
--Sam Henken