NBA teams
Bradford DoolittleKevin PeltonAmin Elhassan 9y

The good, the bad and the ugly

NBA

So far, in many ways it's been a season of extremes in the NBA. There is one team that has won 21 of its first 23 games -- the Golden State Warriors -- that used to play in Philadelphia way back in the 1960s.

The team that replaced them back East -- the downtrodden Philadelphia 76ers -- has conversely lost 22 of 24. But we knew the tanking Sixers were in rebuild mode, and at least Brett Brown's club has played hard for the most part.

Even less pretty have been the storylines of the New York Knicks and Detroit Pistons. The Knicks dreamed of a return to the franchise's glory days when Phil Jackson was hired to lead an organizational overhaul. The early returns have not been good, to say the least. Meanwhile, the Pistons figured that, in a dual coach-executive role, proven winner Stan Van Gundy would make sense of a roster with talent, but little cohesion. Instead, the inexplicable Pistons have been even worse.

As the season passes its quarter-pole, let's look at these manifestations of polarization, as Insider's Bradford Doolittle, Kevin Pelton and Amin Elhassan dissect the divergent narratives of the Warriors, Knicks and Pistons.

The Good: Golden State Warriors

How did we get here?

Bradford Doolittle: The Golden State roster is a mix of smart design, bold decision-making and a fair share of good fortune. It all begins with superstar Stephen Curry. First, luck: Curry fell to Golden State at No. 7 in the 2009 draft -- one pick after Minnesota selected Jonny Flynn. Even then, Golden State nearly considered moving Curry to Phoenix for Amar'e Stoudemire.

The smart design has kicked in ever since, as former GM Larry Riley and his replacement, Bob Myers, have surrounded Curry with an elite running mate in Klay Thompson, plenty of defensive support (Draymond Green, Andrew Bogut and Andre Iguodala) and a playing style that accentuates one of the league's most unique stars. And let's not forget that the four-year, $44 million extension Golden State gave Curry in 2012 came amid concerns that his ankle problems might be chronic. Bold decisions have included trading Monta Ellis for Bogut and replacing respected head coach Mark Jackson with Steve Kerr.

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