Is This The Same Old Golden State?
Photo Credit: Getty Images
The Warriors had a buzz going into the playoffs the past two seasons, but nothing like this season after a stellar 67-15 regular season record everyone knew this team could do it this season. The past two years the Warriors were developing, and we all see the product right before our eyes.
The Warriors before 2012-2013 were in a transition phase where they developed some talent, and rode some talent out for too long. The team simply didn’t have enough depth even though the 2006-2007 Warriors upset the Mavericks in the first round and they were fun to watch with guys like Baron Davis, Stephen Jackson, Matt Barnes, and Al Harrington along with rookie Monta Ellis.
The 2006-2007 was offense, offense, offense that’s the way Don Nelson was and it worked for the 5 time NBA champion, but not later in his coaching career.
The Warriors were the poster child along with the Phoenix Suns for run and gun offense which you knew you faced either of those teams you better be ready to run and for 48 minutes.
This Golden State team gives you the best of both worlds with the high octane offense while playing tough defense inside the paint and defending the perimeter.
This team is ready to win the championship and now with Andrew Bogut healthy and Draymond Green setting the tone defensively for the team. Bogut has a defensive rating of 95 in the post-season which is #1 in the rankings and Draymond Green with 97 which is #4.
Is The Warriors Versatility At Small Forward Enough To Stop LeBron?
The Warriors are a team that have the most depth at the Small Forward position with Draymond Green, Harrison Barnes, and Andre Iguodala they have three players that defend extremely well.
This should give LeBron problems especially keeping a fresh defender on James all game which I fully expect to see. The one player I can see having problems guarding LeBron based on inexperience is Harrison Barnes.
James will face a runner-up defensive player of the year in Draymond Green and a very experienced Andre Iguodala a good 1-2 punch one offers physicality and the other has the basketball I.Q. and length to challenge James.
James shooting 17% from beyond the arc and 42% from the field the Warriors will have to force James to keep shooting the 3 and not let him establish position in the post, with LeBron James at 250 LBS it’s easier said than done.
James averaged a triple double in the Eastern Conference Finals against a team that didn’t have the defenders to hang with James. Golden State is going to make James work for every basket if he posts up or settles for the jumper.
I think Golden State has enough depth to make LeBron work to score which is all you can ask for when it comes to contesting him.
Photo Credit: Baysports.net
Out With The Old, And In With The New
The Golden State Warriors have not won an NBA championship since 1975, and 40 years later they look to put an end to that drought against a Cavaliers team in a championship drought themselves.
The Warriors have seen the post-season failures the past two seasons losing in the first round last year and the conference semi-finals the year before which lead to the end of Mark Jackson’s tenure as head coach.
The Mark Jackson firing was tough for this young Warriors group mainly Steph Curry.
With the Warriors next move they’d set themselves up with a 5 time NBA champion and one of the more sought after coaches in the NBA last off-season in Steve Kerr. Kerr knew the Warriors had the foundation of a championship contender which is why he picked the Golden State job over the New York Knicks (no brainer).
Quite a few people have stated Kerr walked into a already built team, but Kerr has added a lot of ball movement to this team and the Warriors are setting more off-ball screens as well.
Kerr has also helped raise the Warriors offensive efficiency rating from 14 (10 in 2012-2013) to 2 in a year which has a lot to do with Curry’s development, but more so thanks to Kerr’s offense.
