The Golden State Warriors are the defending champions but somehow, they are not the title favorites according to some preseason predictions.
The Warriors have accused other teams and critics of disrespecting them, and it may have resulted in their furious play as they remain the last undefeated team standing.
Of course, they earned that distinction by beating the Clippers, whose Coach Doc Rivers called them "lucky."
Perhaps that's why they seem so driven this early, and that is cause for alarm. If the champion team got even better, who would be able to beat them?
If Warriors guard Klay Thompson is to be believed, probably less than 10 teams. Klay went on a Q&A with fans and he was asked about the seemingly insurmountable Chicago Bulls regular season record of 72-10 in the 1995-1996 season. His response (h/t Diamond Leung of Inside the Warriors) was quite bold.
"That's going to be a tough one. We'll try. There are so many good teams. We'll try. We did get 67 wins last year, which was an amazing feat. We might be able to get 70. It's going to depend a lot on health, obviously, and a lot of lucky bounces that go our way."
Yes, Thompson, in a way, did admit there was a stroke of luck in their success (which is probably correct for almost every winner in every field).
He added: "Seventy-two wins, that's a lot of wins, man. I don't know if that will be done again, but hey man, we might be the team to do it just because we reached 67 last year, and if we stay focused and we take every game serious, we should have a chance to reach 70. It won't be easy. It will be extremely difficult, but you know what? Why not?"
At the very least, it can be said that he is thinking about it, perhaps even last year. Interestingly, one member of that legendary '95-'96 Bulls team is Golden State Warriors' head coach Steve Kerr, who told ESPN last year that breaking the record was out of the question.
"Oh God, no. No! We had this guy named Michael Jordan on that team. That year, I think we were 41-3. So if we can go 21-1 the next 22 games, come talk to me."
That was last season. Even though Kerr is out because of spinal fluid leak, he would be very much aware that his boys are destroying every team in its path.
Perhaps if he would be asked again, he would have a different answer since his star, Most Valuable Player Stephen Curry has categorically declared that they are better than last year in this video.
What's better than 67 wins? 72..or more.