After an abysmal defensive showing in the first half against the Kings, the Warriors put the clamps in the second half through team effort and scheme variability.
I thought the team stepped up their intensity level in the second half. Also seems like, in addition to scheme, Kerr starts figuring out his rotations, and the players start figuring out how to play together. The good news is that, so far at least, the pieces really seem to compliment each other.
Excellent write-up! Great to have more of the gang on board, if only as a temporary/guest contributor for now.
I had noticed the Warriors were mixing it up between zone and man defense, but it hadn't occurred to me until now what a good tactic that is for using the team's higher BBIQ to counter planned actions like after-timeout plays. Makes me appreciate more how smart the Warriors coaching staff is, but also the benefits of having a lot of continuity, and the specific choices of veteran guys who are quick learners in OPJ and Bjeli. (Oubre and Wanamaker were old and NBA-experienced enough that you'd think they *could* get it, but they really struggled. In fairness, the circumstances of last offseason didn't help.)
Thanks for the break-down, and I hope we get more like this in the future!
Oct 25, 2021Liked by punk basketball, Daniel Hardee
By the way, fun quote from Seth about his incredible 23 point first quarter (6-7 from 3pt range):
''I was getting good shots,'' Seth Curry said. ''It wasn't like I was 18 dribbles, half-court, 40-footers. It wasn't like I was like on a Steph-type streak. I was finding good shots.''
So far, we're 13th in defensive rating but hopefully with GP's insertion into the lineup that is improved while his cutting/athleticism ensures that we don't get hurt that much on offense. Honestly, I'm so excited to see how this team looks with Klay.
Also, Jordan Poole with an absolutely fantastic well rounded game scoring 22 points on 50% from the field and 40% from three while also grabbing 3 assists, 3 steals, and 1 block. I love that defensive effort on his part, I do think he has some potential there since he's big/strong enough to be physical + his quickness can be leveraged quite effectively on the defensive end IF He starts shuffling rather than hopping + he is more effective navigating screens. That second part will be more difficult, but at the very least if he gets that first part he can improve at the POA.
Oct 25, 2021Liked by punk basketball, Daniel Hardee
I like this video. In Europe we see much more zone than NBA, because here we don't have shooters like Steph, Klay, Dame, so from first years of school we learn to slow the offense and move much more the ball looking for a good shot
Any thoughts on the 1-2-2 zone being just a curve ball for an inexperienced team vs. being something we can consistently roll out? Rewatching some of those clips looked like the Kings were just straight up confused. The first "Warriors 1-2-2 zone" clip was the only one where they seemed to have any sort of plan with Thompson signaling for Barnes to head to the FT line and attack the middle. Richaun Holmes seems like he'd be the perfect guy in that position but maybe I'm just not familiar enough with his game...
The Dubs have 10 more games before they would be a likely underdog, a November 16 road game against Brooklyn. Toughest games during that period look like: Memphis at home, Atlanta at home, and Charlotte on the road.
I wouldn't bet on a 13-0 start, but anything less than 11-2 would be disappointing.
Great breakdown of how the Warriors adjusted on D. You're not wrong that Oubre in particular and Bazemore were better defenders, although GP II made me calmer. Excellent video clips to illustrate the details that even though I'm super smart and have watched a million games, I always miss.
But I have a question I've long wondered about, for the author and others. I've noticed that changing the defensive scheme in basketball is a fairly conservative choice. Seems to occur maybe 2-3 times in a game. Now, football is a very different sport, but let's notice that it often changes from play to play, as coaches try to surprise the opponent or adjust to trends. I've often wondered whether basketball can get a bit more football-y. Let's not go crazy, not every possession. But what would happen if, for example, the Warriors alternated zone/not zone on consecutive possessions, then switched to man but switched which man is guarding the hot guy. Switch again mid possession before the screen, taking the initiative. Teams sort of do this, but I'm talking way more often, say 20-30 times a game, with Kerr shouting "Green-19" from the sideline and all that. Higher risk-reward ratio, but I think that at present defense in the NBA is often on the back foot. Suppose Ja Morant gets a standard inbound on offense and is suddenly double-teamed the whole way down court. Just once. Maybe a steal, or maybe he passes ahead correctly and the defense regrets it; but it also confuses him and puts the thought in his head the rest of the game. Especially good for blitzing high scoring non passers. In a half court set surround Carmelo or Bradley Beal with three active guys for five seconds, go for a steal, then scramble back. Would this work?
Nice season for the coaching staff so far. The team looks in mid season form already both on offense and especially defense. Being able to throw a zone out a couple times already and have the team run it well is a testament to the prep and work the coaches have put in.
To echo what others have said, nice to have you here Joe. Your work is one of the few things I've missed about the old site after the community migrated over here. Hope to see your writing more often.
Loved to see the coaching staff make the right adjustments to shut down the Kings in the second half. GP2, OPJ, Wiggs, and Green all had some excellent defensive possessions. First game in which they didn't have the rebounding edge (43-47) but stayed active on the boards and made it hard for anyone not named Holmes to grab them. 12-0 steal advantage was awesome in the wake of the 20+ turnovers in the Clips game, too.
I'll admit when I'm wrong and I was wrong about Davion, he seems like the real deal if his shot can keep falling like it did in the first half. His defense was also solid although he was noticeably less effective on that end than he was against the more ISO-oriented Lillard and Donovan in the last few games. Curry's movement without the ball is a different kind of animal though.
Stephen Curry has been a worse-than-average shooter in two of their three games, and the Warriors are 3-0. They needed all of his 45 points (including one absolutely ridiculous go-ahead 3-pointer) against the Clippers on Thursday, but got by without spectacular performances from their top-75 guy against the Lakers and Kings. Jordan Poole has handled some of the scoring load and bench minutes have been mostly positive. Damion Lee has made shots and defended well.
Lee, Poole, Juan Toscano-Anderson and even Andrew Wiggins are proof that no season, even when a team’s best player(s) is/are out for the year, is a “lost” season. Their development, starting with the season in which Curry played just five games, is paying off at a time when the Warriors’ stars are on the brink of being fully healthy. They were all projects at one point, and they’ve all become entirely playable in important games against good teams.
The Warriors’ longest homestand of the season (eight games over 16 days) begins Thursday, and it includes games against three teams — Charlotte, Minnesota and Chicago — that are currently undefeated.”
Great stuff Joe. Awesome to have you here.
I thought the team stepped up their intensity level in the second half. Also seems like, in addition to scheme, Kerr starts figuring out his rotations, and the players start figuring out how to play together. The good news is that, so far at least, the pieces really seem to compliment each other.
Excellent write-up! Great to have more of the gang on board, if only as a temporary/guest contributor for now.
I had noticed the Warriors were mixing it up between zone and man defense, but it hadn't occurred to me until now what a good tactic that is for using the team's higher BBIQ to counter planned actions like after-timeout plays. Makes me appreciate more how smart the Warriors coaching staff is, but also the benefits of having a lot of continuity, and the specific choices of veteran guys who are quick learners in OPJ and Bjeli. (Oubre and Wanamaker were old and NBA-experienced enough that you'd think they *could* get it, but they really struggled. In fairness, the circumstances of last offseason didn't help.)
Thanks for the break-down, and I hope we get more like this in the future!
I predict Klay Thompson will break Klay Thompson's single game three point record before Steph will...
Great analysis thanks Joe
By the way, fun quote from Seth about his incredible 23 point first quarter (6-7 from 3pt range):
''I was getting good shots,'' Seth Curry said. ''It wasn't like I was 18 dribbles, half-court, 40-footers. It wasn't like I was like on a Steph-type streak. I was finding good shots.''
So far, we're 13th in defensive rating but hopefully with GP's insertion into the lineup that is improved while his cutting/athleticism ensures that we don't get hurt that much on offense. Honestly, I'm so excited to see how this team looks with Klay.
Also, Jordan Poole with an absolutely fantastic well rounded game scoring 22 points on 50% from the field and 40% from three while also grabbing 3 assists, 3 steals, and 1 block. I love that defensive effort on his part, I do think he has some potential there since he's big/strong enough to be physical + his quickness can be leveraged quite effectively on the defensive end IF He starts shuffling rather than hopping + he is more effective navigating screens. That second part will be more difficult, but at the very least if he gets that first part he can improve at the POA.
I like this video. In Europe we see much more zone than NBA, because here we don't have shooters like Steph, Klay, Dame, so from first years of school we learn to slow the offense and move much more the ball looking for a good shot
Yours and Eric's posts help me understand basketball better. Glad to have your GSOM posts here a day in advance now 😉
Welcome back, Joe. I hope to see more of your writing in the future. This was an amazing breakdown. Thank you.
Any thoughts on the 1-2-2 zone being just a curve ball for an inexperienced team vs. being something we can consistently roll out? Rewatching some of those clips looked like the Kings were just straight up confused. The first "Warriors 1-2-2 zone" clip was the only one where they seemed to have any sort of plan with Thompson signaling for Barnes to head to the FT line and attack the middle. Richaun Holmes seems like he'd be the perfect guy in that position but maybe I'm just not familiar enough with his game...
The Dubs have 10 more games before they would be a likely underdog, a November 16 road game against Brooklyn. Toughest games during that period look like: Memphis at home, Atlanta at home, and Charlotte on the road.
I wouldn't bet on a 13-0 start, but anything less than 11-2 would be disappointing.
Great breakdown of how the Warriors adjusted on D. You're not wrong that Oubre in particular and Bazemore were better defenders, although GP II made me calmer. Excellent video clips to illustrate the details that even though I'm super smart and have watched a million games, I always miss.
But I have a question I've long wondered about, for the author and others. I've noticed that changing the defensive scheme in basketball is a fairly conservative choice. Seems to occur maybe 2-3 times in a game. Now, football is a very different sport, but let's notice that it often changes from play to play, as coaches try to surprise the opponent or adjust to trends. I've often wondered whether basketball can get a bit more football-y. Let's not go crazy, not every possession. But what would happen if, for example, the Warriors alternated zone/not zone on consecutive possessions, then switched to man but switched which man is guarding the hot guy. Switch again mid possession before the screen, taking the initiative. Teams sort of do this, but I'm talking way more often, say 20-30 times a game, with Kerr shouting "Green-19" from the sideline and all that. Higher risk-reward ratio, but I think that at present defense in the NBA is often on the back foot. Suppose Ja Morant gets a standard inbound on offense and is suddenly double-teamed the whole way down court. Just once. Maybe a steal, or maybe he passes ahead correctly and the defense regrets it; but it also confuses him and puts the thought in his head the rest of the game. Especially good for blitzing high scoring non passers. In a half court set surround Carmelo or Bradley Beal with three active guys for five seconds, go for a steal, then scramble back. Would this work?
Nice season for the coaching staff so far. The team looks in mid season form already both on offense and especially defense. Being able to throw a zone out a couple times already and have the team run it well is a testament to the prep and work the coaches have put in.
GOODNESS GRACIOUS, THAT'S JOE VIRAY'S MUSIC!!!!!
To echo what others have said, nice to have you here Joe. Your work is one of the few things I've missed about the old site after the community migrated over here. Hope to see your writing more often.
Loved to see the coaching staff make the right adjustments to shut down the Kings in the second half. GP2, OPJ, Wiggs, and Green all had some excellent defensive possessions. First game in which they didn't have the rebounding edge (43-47) but stayed active on the boards and made it hard for anyone not named Holmes to grab them. 12-0 steal advantage was awesome in the wake of the 20+ turnovers in the Clips game, too.
I'll admit when I'm wrong and I was wrong about Davion, he seems like the real deal if his shot can keep falling like it did in the first half. His defense was also solid although he was noticeably less effective on that end than he was against the more ISO-oriented Lillard and Donovan in the last few games. Curry's movement without the ball is a different kind of animal though.
Warriors went from #12 to #2 in the NBA.com’s power rankings
https://www.nba.com/news/power-rankings-2021-22-week-2
“
Golden State Warriors
Record: 3-0
Pace: 105.3 (2) OffRtg: 112.7 (5) DefRtg: 105.3 (13) NetRtg: +7.3 (11)
Stephen Curry has been a worse-than-average shooter in two of their three games, and the Warriors are 3-0. They needed all of his 45 points (including one absolutely ridiculous go-ahead 3-pointer) against the Clippers on Thursday, but got by without spectacular performances from their top-75 guy against the Lakers and Kings. Jordan Poole has handled some of the scoring load and bench minutes have been mostly positive. Damion Lee has made shots and defended well.
Lee, Poole, Juan Toscano-Anderson and even Andrew Wiggins are proof that no season, even when a team’s best player(s) is/are out for the year, is a “lost” season. Their development, starting with the season in which Curry played just five games, is paying off at a time when the Warriors’ stars are on the brink of being fully healthy. They were all projects at one point, and they’ve all become entirely playable in important games against good teams.
The Warriors’ longest homestand of the season (eight games over 16 days) begins Thursday, and it includes games against three teams — Charlotte, Minnesota and Chicago — that are currently undefeated.”