One NBA team is enjoying a charmed existence. Behind the league's second-best defense on a per-possession basis and four players averaging at least 20 points per game, it has been able to overcome the absence of its star player -- a former MVP -- to win its past four games and retain the best win percentage of any team.
Another NBA team is down bad. It can't stop anyone, ranking 29th in defensive rating, and the absence of its star -- also a former MVP -- has exacerbated the problem. It has lost its past two games by a combined 68 points to sink to the league's worst record.
The shocking twist? They're the same team:
The defending champion Golden State Warriors at home, and the defending champion Golden State Warriors on the road.
Golden State's overall 19-18 record conceals a Two-Face level separation between their two personalities. At the Chase Center, the Warriors remain unstoppable without the injured Stephen Curry, demonstrated by a Christmas Day win over the West-leading Memphis Grizzlies. On the road, Golden State is fodder, having started 0-8 and been blasted to wrap up a pre-holiday road trip after his injury.
What explains the historically significant difference in the Warriors' home and road play? And what does that tell us about the rest of Golden State's season? Let's take a look.
Shooting looms large for the Jekyll and Hyde Warriors
We've never seen anything in the modern NBA quite like what Golden State is doing this year.