The Golden State Warriors have figured something out and that should terrify playoff teams in the West

Happy Friday, folks! Welcome back to Layup Lines. Thanks so much for joining me today. I hope you’ve got an excellent weekend ahead of you. Let’s talk about the Warriors for a sec.

This has been a down year in Golden State so far. It seemed like the Warriors were at the end of their dominant era. But, if this is the end, the team sure isn’t playing like it. At least not these days, anyway.

Over the last 15 games, the Warriors have flat-out been one of the best teams in the league. So, after such a slow start, what’s changed? A lot, honestly.

We could talk all day about how Steph Curry has been going bananas lately. He’s averaging 31.4 points per game over the last 15 while shooting 50 percent from the floor and 47 percent on 13.3 3-pointers a night. That’s incredible offense.

Golden State’s 8.4 net rating is good for 4th best in the NBA during that stretch. The team’s defense has also finally caught up to its offense with Draymond Green’s return. Its 113.2 defensive rating is also a top-10 mark in that stretch.

But, really, I think Green on offense is the biggest factor here. He’s unlocked lineup combinations that just didn’t work before — specifically the pairing of Jonathan Kuminga and Andrew Wiggins.

Before Green’s return on Jan. 12, the Wiggins-Kuminga pairing was a -21.9 in 157 minutes together, per NBA.com’s stats tool. Since Green’s return, that combo is a +13 in 289 minutes. It’s working. Green’s playmaking ability has allowed the two to find a balance.

Speaking of Kuminga, he went from demanding a trade to being arguably Golden State’s second or third-best player depending on where you stand on Draymond Green. Brandon Podziemski has also given the Warriors an infusion of youth on both ends that this team just didn’t have before. Even Klay Thompson has had a bit of a resurgence after moving back to the bench and playing with Trayce Jackson-Davis.

READ MORE: How Trayce Jackson-Davis is unlocking a new side of Klay Thompson

Now, look. The story down this stretch isn’t purely defined by gaudy numbers. The Warriors have had it a bit easy over this last month.

Golden State has only beaten three top-6 teams during this 15-game run — that includes the 76ers (twice), the Kings and the Suns (by one point). The Warriors aren’t the same juggernaut we’re used to for sure.

Some tough games are coming up, too. The Nuggets, Knicks, Bucks and Celtics are all on the schedule over the next six games.

We’ll get a real sense of how serious this run is after that stretch.

Nikola Jokic made a bit of history against my Washington Wizards on Thursday night.

Robert Zeglinski wrote about the Wizards being the only team that stood in the way of Jokic having a triple-double against every single NBA team (aside from the one he plays for, of course).

Well, folks. I must inform you that the streak is over. I’m sure none of you watched the game because, well, Wizards. But not only did the man get his triple-double — he did it spectacularly. Jokic didn’t miss a single shot (10-10) on his way to 21 points, 19 rebounds and 15 assists.

A triple-double on 100-percent shooting from the field is already wild. But, folks, he also had the triple-double in the bag in just under 19 minutes.

That dude is impossible, man.

Oh, hello there

Did you notice the NBA had new Emirates patches on their referee’s jerseys? I certainly did. A lot of other fans did, too.

Apparently, this was something the league had announced ahead of the All-Star break. Bryan Kalbrosky has more.

“The league unveiled a partnership with Emirates on Feb. 8, the same day as the NBA’s trade deadline. They announced the airline as the title sponsor for the NBA’s In-Season Tournament, now known as the Emirates NBA Cup.

… 

Although the news was picked up by several outlets, fans may have missed this information if they were focused on the winners and losers of the trade deadline. After the league returned from the brief All-Star break, though, it did not take long for fans to notice the sponsorship.” 

Yeah, completely missed this one from the NBA.  It was so weird. The fan reaction here says it all.

READ MORE: Fans react to the NBA’s new Emirates referee sponsor patches

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— Here’s a dope conversation between Bryan Kalbrosky and Tyrese Maxey. Tap into this one.

— Robert Zeglinski has one question for every team coming out of the All-Star break here.

— Roasting Stephen A. Smith never gets old, man. Never. Good job, Pelicans.

— Sue Bird thinks Caitlin Clark can be an All-Star in the WNBA immediately. Here’s Meghan Hall with more.

That’s all, folks! Thanks so much for reading today. We appreciate the time. Tap in on Monday where we’ll be right back here. Until next time, folks. Peace.

-Sykes