By any account, the beginning of Golden State’s 10-11 season stands out among recent years, particularly those under Don Nelson. Some may point to the 6-2 record as the most notable sign, yet the biggest difference thus far has been how the team has won. Simply put, the Warriors have already had to win ugly.

“Winning ugly” can be defined in a few different ways, each of which has its own application to the current season thus far. The classic way is one of games that are unappealing to more casual fans.

There may be no greater example of this even after the end of the season than their game against Utah last Friday. Simply put, both teams were an abomination on the offensive end, shooting under 40% from the field and under 22% from three despite garnering 18 and 20 fast break points, respectively. This accomplishment came partially from good defense and partially from both teams just missing quality opportunities.

After the Utah game, Monta Ellis commented that this was not the type of game the Warriors would have won last year.

“We would have gave up and lost by 20 or 30,” said Ellis, referring to their old outcomes on nights in which they shoot poorly.

Ellis also talked about how the difference in the defense last year was more of a personnel change because now there are “more guys willing to play defense” than in the last few seasons. Seeing Dorell Wright and Rodney Carney in particular, the point seems well-rooted. Even the re-addition of Andris Biedrins, a player who has been on the team for a while, has made a major difference defensively.

Golden State’s win against Memphis two days earlier provided an excellent example of a different brand of ugly game. While the defense stood out against Utah, Golden State fell into some of their bad habits (as happened against the Houston Rockets to a degree on opening night). At points, it felt like Memphis was dragging the Warriors down to their level of defensive incompetence and blasting them with experience. In the end, some strong play from Monta Ellis helped put the team in the win column despite a cavalcade of ridiculous shots from Rudy Gay.

After the game, Keith Smart noted that Dorell Wright and others had actually done a pretty good job on Gay (he was one of the few well-covered for most of the game), yet it made no difference since the FIBA gold medalist just kept on drilling tough looks. Even though the overall defensive competence and intensity has looked better on the aggregate this season, it is important for the Warriors to be able to win games when they lapse or just have to engage in a shoot-out. Fortunately, few teams possess a better arsenal for those kinds of games when the need arises since Stephen Curry and Ellis can do major damage with help from the other starters.

Before heading out on their road trip, Coach Smart discussed his mantra that this year’s team is following: DTW. Short for Defense Travels Well, it articulates the NBA truism that defensive quality translates to more road wins than offensive quality. Seeing teams like the Pacers and Warriors outside of their home arenas in 09-10 gave even more credence to the concept.

What the first three games of the road trip have taught us is that while the defense has made it easier for Golden State to win games, they must play smarter to keep themselves in it. The Warriors blew a game they should have won in Detroit by making stupid mistakes (mostly with the ball and turnovers) and got helped out by some pivotal late misses to seal the game in New York. Taking two of three thus far is absolutely an accomplishment, yet everyone has to remember that the murderer’s row of Eastern Conference teams has not hit Golden State hard.

That said, simply being 6-2 is an overwhelmingly positive sign, as are the numerous ways this team has won games. Some have been convincing, some have been high-scoring, while others have been shockingly low-scoring. Playoff teams in the NBA that aren’t Phoenix have to be ready, willing, and able to win pretty and win ugly since games come in all sorts during an 82-game season. It’s too early to tell how the West will shake out, but I am more comfortable in the end game for this Warriors team now than I was two weeks ago.

Some isolated thoughts:

- Dorell Wright does some really fantastic things out there. His defense and three-point shooting have been major assets in just about every game. If he can spend a few less possessions a game trying to get his shot off the dribble (his shooting has been far better on assisted plays anecdotally), it can help the Warriors’ efficiency even more.

- I can’t say enough about how much better Monta’s decision-making has been on the aggregate. He is playing more responsibly and striking an improved balance between scoring and creating for others.

- It is amazing that the team has won as much as they have with David Lee not making shots from mid-range. I haven’t dug up the early shooting stats yet, but it seems like Lee has missed just about every deep mid-range shot despite being a pretty solid shot from that range last season. That is another way this team can get better.

- Brandan Wright is finally establishing himself as a rotation player in the league. His production thus far makes me wonder what could have been last season without such devastating injuries. Wright’s production should help keep the team above water until Lou Amundson and Ekpe Udoh return and should keep Wright getting minutes as long as he can stay on the court. The team could have a tough decision with him next fall.

- Both Lee and Biedrins seem genuinely excited to be playing with each other. Each has been mired in a system/team with a desolate landscape of fellow big men. Biedrins commented after the Utah game that he felt more confident helping on defense because he knew Lee would cover for him when need be.

Feel free to e-mail Daniel at Daniel.Leroux@realgm.com or follow him at twitter.com/DannyLeroux