At 31-6, Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors find themselves sitting atop the NBA standings at the near halfway point of the 2014-2015 season.

With first year head coach Steve Kerr at the helm, and behind one of the most potent offenses in the league, people are beginning to truly believe in Golden State as championship contenders.

But as always, there are doubters. Over the years, young, three point-happy, fast paced teams have always been fun to watch, but have never really shown that they’ve had what it takes to win an NBA championship. Like the Phoenix Suns of the mid to late 2000’s, the Warriors employ a plethora of young stars, shoot a bevy of three pointers and get up and down the court at the fastest pace in the NBA. Come playoff time however, the game slows down, leading to less transition opportunities and ultimately resulting in fewer easy scoring chances, making the game infinitely more difficult for teams that rely on that style of play.

Will this year’s Warriors squad suffer the same fate?

The short answer? No.

The long answer? Keep reading.

During their famed “Seven Seconds or Less” era, the Phoenix Suns led the league in offensive efficiency for six straight seasons, making the Western Conference Finals three times. But as their offense flourished, their defense was a weak point, evidenced by the fact that Phoenix finished either 19th or 20th in defensive efficiency in four out of those six seasons. And while three Western Conference Finals appearances in six years is certainly an accomplishment, those Suns teams never quite had what it took to go all the way.

Stephen Curry and the rest of the Warriors put up three pointers at a blistering pace. Will that prove to be their downfall come playoff time?

Their offensive anchors, Steve Nash and Amar’e Stoudemire, were sub-par defensive players and their offensive style didn’t allow for a slow, lumbering big man to be on the floor for extended minutes no matter how much he offered on defense, meaning an undersized Kurt Thomas was forced to man the center position. Predictably, the bigger and more physical teams (the Los Angeles Lakers, Dallas Mavericks and San Antonio Spurs) won their Conference Finals matchups.

So what makes this Warriors team any different?

It starts with Klay Thompson. As Blue Man Hoop’s Greg Chin pointed out earlier this season, Thompson’s marked improvement on both ends of the floor has had a direct impact on the Warriors’ success. When Klay Thompson’s agent called him “the best two-way, two-guard” in the NBA prior to the season, many scoffed at the assertion.

December 18, 2014; Oakland, CA, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0, right) dribbles the basketball against Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson (11) during the second quarter at Oracle Arena. The Warriors defeated the Thunder 114-109. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

But Thompson has fit the bill this year, forcing opponents to shoot 9.4% worse when he is guarding them, including 11.8% worse on two pointers. Last season, Klay’s opponents shot 3.2 percent better when matching up against him.

Along with his defensive improvement, Thompson is setting career highs in points, assists, blocks, steals, three-point percentage and field-goal percentage all while shooting more shots than he ever has in his young career. Thompson has certainly proved his worth since signing a lucrative contract extension just prior to the season.

And Thompson’s backcourt mate hasn’t been a slouch either. Curry is turning in one of the finest, most efficient seasons any guard has seen in recent history, posting a 27.4 PER, and making over 40% of his near eight three-point attempts per game. Combined with his 7.9 assists per game, Curry has come into his own as one of the best dual threat point guards in the league. Though Curry alone is a tough task for opposing defenses, having him share a backcourt with another All-Star caliber player in Thompson makes Golden State almost unguardable.

What truly sets this team apart however, is their commitment to defense. As a unit, Golden State is the stingiest in the Association, allowing only 97.3 points per 100 possessions, over an entire point fewer than the second best defense.

And when their roster is broken down, its easy to understand why. In addition to Klay Thompson, the Warriors also employ a superb rim protector in Andrew Bogut, a versatile defensive player in Draymond Green, and a jack of all trades defender off the bench in Andre Iguodala. As per CBSSports.com, with Bogut on the floor, opponents shoot 15% worse at the rim and Golden State allows seven fewer points than when he is on the bench.

Dec 4, 2014; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors center Andrew Bogut (12) blocks the shot by New Orleans Pelicans center Omer Asik (3) during the third quarter at Oracle Arena. The Golden State Warriors defeated the New Orleans Pelicans 112-85. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

The one caveat with Bogut is that he has proven to be injury prone, but even when he has missed time, Golden State didn’t slip much defensively because of the work of Draymond Green. This season, Green has ranked No. 1 amongst all wing players in Real Plus- Minus Rating, and 10th overall. RPM is a stat that takes into account the players offensive and defensive contributions as well as the overall performance of the team.

But for those weary of advanced statistics, Green passes the eye test as well. He’s ably guarded Chandler Parsons, Monta Ellis and Dirk Nowitzki in the same game, while also making significant contributions on the offensive end and on the defensive glass.

It’s important to keep in mind that the NBA season isn’t even halfway finished at this point, meaning anything can happen (Look at how Portland cooled off after their hot start last season). That being said, Golden State seems to have what it takes to hoist the Larry O’Brien Trophy at the end of the season. Their offense is elite, their defense is stout, and they have excellent role players who understand what it takes to win.

This Warriors squad can go all the way.