Philadelphia, PA (SportsNetwork.com) - The Golden State Warriors are the best team in the NBA for reasons passing the obvious. Bold moves and commitment have put the Warriors atop the standings in the NBA. They havent lost since the Hoover Administration and are the associations most lethal two-way threat. They rank third in scoring and sixth in opponents scoring. Doesnt take an analytics nerd to figure that yields a high margin of victory. The Warriors win by an average of 10.9 ppg. Thats also first. The Splash Brothers are headed to the All-Star game, deservedly so. Steph Curry is a statistical freak of nature. Hes sixth in scoring, fifth in assists, eighth in steals, third in free-throw shooting and first in 3- pointers made. Klay Thompson is 14th in scoring, eighth in 3-point shooting percentage and fourth in made 3-pointers. Even Curry has emerged into a legitimate NBA defender and Thompson was already considered an elite wing stopper. So, yes, the Splash Brothers are studs who carry this team offensively. The nickname is still stupid, but the point is they are All-NBA caliber guys. Their importance is paramount to be clear. It is not singular to the Warriors obscene success to this point. Steve Kerr came into the Warriors coaching job as the trendy name this offseason. He brushed aside the courtship of one of his mentors, Phil Jackson and the New York Knicks, to take the Golden State gig. Hes a west-coast guy and the rosters werent comparable, so it made sense. It wasnt the easiest transition in the history of business transactions. Former coach Mark Jackson resuscitated this franchise, but was shown the door because of some friction with ownership. Jacksons players were fiercely loyal to their former coach, but now, it looks like Kerr has been their uncle for eternity. The group plays beautiful team basketball and Kerr made perhaps the biggest, boldest decision he could make from the beginning. He reinserted Harrison Barnes into the starting lineup in favor of Andre Iguodala. Barnes started as a rookie two seasons ago, then went to the bench when Iguodala was signed in the summer of 2013. Getting maximum output from Barnes has been crucial to the Warriors success. Building him back into the productive player he was as a rookie was a tough task for Kerr. I think he needed to play this year, Kerr said after Thursdays victory over the New Orleans Pelicans. Last year was a tough year for him. He needed to play and let loose. Hes taken advantage of the minutes. Draymond Green is a similar story. He played quite a bit in the last playoffs under Jackson, but now, hes becoming vital. And their presence has given Golden States biggest asset to date - their ability to switch on defense. With the exception of Andrew Bogut, every player in the starting five, and much of the bench, can switch any pick-and-roll on the floor. Thats the strength of our defense really, along with Bogs protecting the rim, the versatility on the wings, the ability to switch and get out on 3- point shooters, Kerr said. Bogut is undervalued, but Kerrs decision to tweak that starting lineup has been genius. It was a brash decision. Iguodala signed a four-year, $48 million contract in 2013, meaning, a man making a shade over $12 million was demoted for a third-year guy who lost his spot a season prior and a second-round pick in Green. Its brilliance is how its enhanced the second unit. Iguodala isnt the explosive player he once was, but can still get the oppositions shirt. Shaun Livingston was signed in the offseason after a career redefining season with Brooklyn in 2013-14. Marreese Speights averages 12.4 ppg in 15.8 minutes per game. We have enough scoring coming off the bench, but the fact we can continue to defend even with our starters off the floor, thats a really big factor for us, said Kerr. And the bench should get enhanced shortly. David Lee has played all of seven minutes for the Warriors this season, but is expected back shortly from a hamstring injury. Kerr should be committed if he tinkers with that first unit, so where does Lee fit in? We are talking about a two-time All-Star who averaged 18.2 ppg and 9.3 rebounds a night for Golden State last season. We need him. Well find ways to play, noted Kerr. It may mean a few less minutes for Harrison and Draymond. We have great chemistry and guys are playing for each other. When David comes back, and things change rotation- wise, guys are going to accept it. And that demonstrates another beautiful aspect of this Warriors team. This is a cohesive group that doesnt let ego get in the way of a good thing. Sounds simple and obvious enough, but in 2014, how often does that really happen? Theres nothing better in the NBA than being on a team like this where you have good guys and youre winning, Kerr said. For veterans like Iguodala and Lee to be willing to sacrifice for the betterment of the group is too uncommon. Barnes and Green are better players right now and better fits in Kerrs schemes, which are predicated on versatility. And good on Kerr for going with whats best. Iguodala and Lee make a combined $27 million and were integral to the development and success of Golden State. It would be easy to play favorites to the veterans, especially in your first gig and especially considering the potentially fragile nature of the group after what transpired with Jackson. But Kerr put his horses on display and its working. It also doesnt hurt that Kerr has gone younger during this process. We talk about the development of [a franchise] is when your young players develop, said TNTs Reggie Miller. Harrison Barnes, Draymond Green, Steph Curry and Klay Thompson have gotten better each year. Thats why the Warriors franchise is in good hands moving forward. Its in great hands now. RANDOM THOUGHTS - Good for the Philadelphia 76ers. No one wants that record of worst start to a season. They play hard, they work hard, so good for them. The all-time worst record of 9-73 is, however, in play. - Potential Western Conference All-Star guards: Curry, Thompson, Chris Paul, Kobe Bryant, James Harden, Monta Ellis and Damian Lillard. Frontcourt guys: Anthony Davis, DeMarcus Cousins, Marc Gasol, Blake Griffin, Dirk Nowitzki, LaMarcus Aldridge and Zach Randolph. That doesnt account for the fact that Kevin Durant will probably fare well in the fan vote and Dwight Howard was superb before injury. - The Los Angeles Lakers are 5-14, but 1-13 within the Western Conference. So, that should show how bad the East is that LA is 4-1 against them. - You love the Washington Wizards? I do. Theyre loaded. Going to be a force in the Eastern Conference, right? The Atlanta Hawks are a game behind them. The always .500, duller than taupe Hawks could be the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference by the end of the weekend. - Movie moment - Im a sucker for the Oscars, so its cool to me that one of my favorite character actors - J.K. Simmons - is sounding like a shoo-in for Best Supporting Actor. Before you look him up, he was the dad in Juno, the psychiatrist in Law & Order, the hideous white supremacist in Oz, is the yellow peanut M&M and currently is the dean of students for Farmers Insurance. What range. - TV moment - My son was acting up a bit on Thursday night so my girlfriend put on the live screening of Peter Pan on NBC. He said, am I in trouble? I was harsh on The Sound of Music and Id never watch that, or Peter Pan voluntarily, but I respect those involved. They knew scorn was coming, but did it anyway. Jerry Coleman Jersey .com) - The New York Rangers hope to punch their ticket to the second round when they visit the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday for a Game 6 battle at Wells Fargo Center. Luis Madero Jersey . Tennis Australia chief executive Craig Tiley told local media in comments published Wednesday that John Tomic would not be allowed into Melbourne Park in any official capacity or as a spectator. https://www.cheapangels.com/973j-andrew-...sey-angels.html. - Aaron Rodgers makes tough throws that can leave fans of the Green Bay Packers speechless. Nick Adenhart Angels Jersey . -- Howie Kendrick had a two-run single in his first game batting leadoff this season, Chris Iannetta hit a pair of RBI singles and the Los Angeles Angels beat Cleveland 6-4 Tuesday night, sending the Indians to their fifth straight defeat. Frank Robinson Angels Jersey . The Oilers jumped into the free agent market early by signing defencemen Keith Aulie (six-foot-six, 228 pounds) and Mark Fayne (6-3, 210 pounds) and left-winger Benoit Pouliot (6-3, 197-pounds). Two days earlier MacTavish traded lightweight forward Sam Gagner to Tampa Bay for 6-3, 203-pound right winger Ted Purcell.FIVE QUICK HOOPS THOUGHTS: 1. FLIP SAUNDERS (Timberwolves): Im not the least bit surprised that he appointed himself as head coach after his search concluded. The president had the most successful run of any coach in franchise history and is a good fit at this stage. The fact that hes got lots of power in the organization will help him in the locker room because players will know that the buck stops with him. That always helps a coach. 2. NBA FINALS FORMAT: I love the fact that the NBA has gone with the 2-2-1-1-1 traditional format. Im a huge believer that the finalist that had the better regular season deserves to be able to host that critical Game 5. This was a smart move to get in line with the demands of the fans and most coaches and executives. 3. NBA REFEREES: You can say what you want about officials and I have a tendency to mildly voice my opinion from time to time (haha) about them, but on the whole they do a terrific job and the playoffs are really difficult to call. I really like what the league has done this year with trying to keep officiating crews together during the Pplayoffs. Im a fan of consistency and, the more a crew woorks together, the more cohesive they become.dddddddddddd It helps a great deal and it not only makes sense, but its smart. 4. ABC ANNOUNCERS: I absolutely love listening to Mike Breen, Jeff Van Gundy, Mark Jackson and Doris Burke. Insightful, prepared, enthusiastic and entertaining - a really enjoyable listen that enhances the experience of watching the game and helps promote the sport. Just like the Spurs and Heat on the floor, this is the best game broadcast team in hoops. Theres a nice balance of opinion and strategy brought each telecast. For me, a joy to listen to. 5. RASHARD LEWIS (Heat): Lewis dropped 14 points in Game #2 and its nice having veteran experience on the floor. His perimeter shot-making ability is critical and he gives them better size to deal with the Spurs penetration and post-ups in the paint. Hes got a ton of big game experience and it showed in a huge win for Miami. LeBron was brilliant, yet you must have unsung heroes to help complement the stars. This is a guy on many nights this season was a DNP or barely played. Lewis is a true pro whos ready when called upon. ' ' '