New look Warriors causing some familiar problems for their opponents
New look Warriors causing some familiar problems for their opponents
A commanding 3-0 lead, a dominant playoff run, media eating crow? Golden State is coming back for their throne
The Golden State Warriors took care of their home court, and then promptly waltzed into Dallas and stole the first game in the Mavericks’ house in dramatic fashion. Andrew Wiggins threw down an iconic dunk that is going to be reverberating through the collective unconscious of Dub Nation for years to come.
No team in NBA history has come back from an 0-3 hole, and Dallas seemed more resigned and morose than a team itching to get right back on the court and fix what’s wrong.
But nothing’s easy in the NBA, and as the Warriors know all too well, these series can gain a certain momentum once you let your opponent creep back into it. Beyond the risk of losing the advantage, Golden State sure could use some extended recuperation time ahead of their battle with whatever team comes out of the east.
On the injury front, it’s a bit of a mixed bag today. Otto Porter, who left game three with a worrying foot problem, is listed as Doubtful for tonight’s game. The concern when Porter signed was mostly about availability, and he’s exceeded expectations in that regard this season; but it still hurts to see him go down — especially on a non-contact injury to his foot.
That said, when news came out yesterday that the injury wasn’t as serious as it could have been, Dub Nation breathed a sigh of relief. The hope is that Porter’s absence will be a short-term one.
Iguodala is also lightly rumored now to be aiming for availability in the Finals (which start next Thursday!).
GAME DETAILS
WHO: Golden State Warriors at Dallas Mavericks
WHEN: Tuesday May 24th, 2022 // 6pm PDT
WATCH: TNT
Warriors lead series 3-0
New look Warriors causing some familiar problems for their opponents
There’s a gravitas to this old Warriors core. As much as the younger teams are aiming high, the accumulated records and ongoing accolades that the Warriors are racking up right now are like a storm front rolling in. A stable, low barometric pressure of body blows and haymakers as the Kerr offense eviscerates your defense while you worry about Stephen Curry like your job depends on it.
Should Golden State advance, this would be the sixth NBA Finals appearance in the past eight seasons — something the league hasn’t seen since Jordan’s Bulls did it. And lest we forget the man that spans those eras: with that last win, coach Steve Kerr racked up the 11th 3-0 start to a playoff series; a total eclipsed only by Greg Popovich.
Sure, they lost Kevin Durant. And sure, the number two pick from a year ago isn’t playing a single minute, but the Warriors core is still chugging along after a couple of lost seasons. With some smart moves around the edges, and a bit of luck, Golden State finds themselves right in the thick of a title chase using pretty much the same formula that got them here all those years ago.
The core that won a championship and then broke an “unbreakable” record by winning 73 games is still here. And teams still don’t have any good answers for it when everyone’s healthy.
But in the playoffs, there’s a steadily escalating game of cat and mouse as teams try to play the game to their strengths. In a series where little adjustments come into play, the Warriors really have seen enough of this to matter. As Draymond Green said after the last win, the team is running through a ton of different looks on offense and defense throughout these game:
“When you’re playing against a guy like Luka, you just never want to give him a steady diet of anything,” Green said. “You can pick what you think is the absolute best coverage against a guy and you keep doing that. Let’s say it works and it works and it works. If you keep doing it, a guy like that, he’s going to figure it out. You want to try to keep him off balance.”
That could be extended to be a discussion of team matchups. Kerr doesn’t spam the pick and roll, he’s got a much more subtle method of attack. No matter what, the base recipe calls for the Splash Brothers and Draymond Green to do their things, but against each opponent in this run, the Warriors team has built off of a new area of emphasis.
For the Mavericks, they’ve fed them a steady diet of changing looks on both ends of the court, while still hounding the boards like they had against the Denver Nuggets and Memphis Grizzlies. But none of this work unless those role players aren’t hitting their open shots.
On top of that, the Warriors’ offense is killing Dallas. Without strong point of attack defense, or a rim protector, it feels like the Mavs are extra susceptible to the chaos caused by the Warriors movement-based offensive sets.
While this is the same base recipe that Golden State used to cook up championships before, there’s a subtle new flavor. Mature, yet with a hint newness. Now Jordan Poole’s quick slippery moves have been added — but that’s far from all. The continued improvements of Kevon Looney and Wiggins (especially in these playoffs) has been just as fun to watch as it must be painful to play against. After all the hype, it’s Wiggins that throws down one of the decades more memorable poster dunks on your star? It’s Looney that you can’t keep out of the paint? Oh, and both Thompson and Curry are capable of going nuclear?
Good luck beating this team four times, much less four times in a row as Dallas is now challenged to do.
Prediction
Get the brooms.
Someone posted this Spurs game highlights a few days ago. This is where Curry dropped 37 in win 72. Notice at 3:06 the Spurs announcer channels E Apricot with: "Put it this way. Coach is never gonna yell at you if you stay with this guy (Curry)."
Edit: Add link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CEP5DbwhPzE
Please dont play jta over kuminga, just please.
It's some acie law over curry shit