Remember when Golden State Warriors’ co-owner Joe Lacob was booed by the home crowd for trading Monta Ellis for Andrew Bogut in 2012? Remember Stephen Curry’s nagging ankle injuries? Warrior fans probably don’t. Those days are long behind them, and this is a new era of Warriors basketball.
A team that was once in a long playoff drought from the mid-90s to the mid-2000s has now bounced back to supremacy. 34 games into the 2014-2015 season, and the Warriors own the best record in the league at 29-5, and there have been many factors to their success.
David Lee’s early-season hamstring injury was a blessing in the sky for Draymond Green, who took over the starting power forward position and has showcased his all-around skillset. Green’s major improvement across the board has been a huge reason behind Golden State’s success.
Green is in the running for Most Improved Player of the year alongside Chicago’s Jimmy Butler. He is averaging career highs of 11.9 points, 8.4 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.6 blocks, and 1.5 steals while shooting a career-high 43.6 percent from the field. Taken 35th overall in the 2012 NBA draft, Green has been an enormous steal.
He is supplying the Warriors with sufficient floor spacing, play making, rebounding, and defense. Green’s ability to guard multiple positions is a major bonus on the defensive end for the “Dubs”. From big, strong centers and power forwards to nifty guards, Draymond Green can defend them all, which allows the Warriors to comfortably switch in pick and roll situations. The 24-year-old out of Michigan State has been dubbed the team’s heartbeat by head coach Steve Kerr and has been praised for his outstanding play.
“He’s in a lot of ways our heart and soul and just plays with such passion at both ends,” Kerr said of Draymond earlier in the year.
Another key component to Warriors’ success has been the play of Klay Thompson. One of the best two-way players in the league, Thompson has thrived into a more potent, consistent scorer. He, too, is averaging career highs in almost every category, with 21.6 points, 3.1 assists, 1.3 steals, and 0.9 blocks. He is also shooting a career-high 46.4 percent from the field, 43.9 percent from three-point territory, and 87.4 percent from the costless-throw line.
He has already registered two 40-plus point games this season, a mark he had never reached before in previous seasons. What’s more impressive is that Thompson has yet to score in single digits in a game, which proves how consistent he has been. Last season, he scored in single digits nine times, including two during the playoffs.
The difference this season has been Thompson’s adeptness to take it to the rim more often than he has in the past. He is no longer just a three-point threat. Instead, he uses his excellent three-point shooting as decoy to attack the paint.
Thompson’s Splash brother, Curry, is having himself a terrific season too. Curry is one of the most entertaining players to look in the league, and he has raised his level of play. Proving that he is much more than just a shooter, Curry has displayed his ability to rebound, pass, finish around the rim, play defense, and most importantly lead this team to success.
With Curry’s improved leadership skills and Thompson’s maturity as a scorer, the Warriors’ starting backcourt is averaging a league-best 44.5 points per game. Thompson is finally the player he needs to be for this team to succeed and go deep in the playoffs.
Inserting Harrison Barnes back into the starting lineup was a phenomenal move by Steve Kerr. Barnes has been flourishing as a starter, just like he was in his rookie season. He is another Warriors player who is averaging a career high in scoring and field goal percentage, with 10.7 points on 50.6 percent shooting, including 44.4 percent from downtown.
Downgrading Andre Iguodala to the bench has given Golden State perfect balance between the two units. Iguodala, along with the offseason acquisition of Shaun Livingston, provide play making off the bench, while Justin Holiday, David Lee, and Marreese Speights provide scoring.
The overall defense of this team has been top notch as well. The Warriors rank number one in opponent field goal percentage, number three in opponent three-point percentage, and number five in opponent turnovers per game.
Certainly, Andrew Bogut changed the dynamic of this team on the defensive side when he joined, but this season it has also been Green’s defensive prowess and versatility that has put the Warriors at an elite level.
We have got to also credit Steve Kerr for the job that he has done with this team. He has made gutsy tweaks to the lineups and rotations and has implemented an unselfish brand of basketball for his group of guys. As a result, the Warriors are number one in points per game (109.2), field goal percentage (48.4%), and assists per game (26.8), and fourth in three-point percentage (37.9%). Kerr is great at pushing his guys and motivating them. He is not afraid to voice his opinion to his stars when they are not playing well, which makes him such a wonderful coach.
“In the end, you know, I love this team. They’re competitive. They defend. They pull for each other,” Kerr said.
How far can this team go? That’s the main question. We know how good they are, but the playoffs are a different story.
Without question, Andrew Bogut’s health will determine how far this team can go. The Warriors need their best rebounder and defensive anchor on the floor to make a deep playoff run. Bogut missed the playoffs last season, but the Warriors still took the Los Angeles Clippers to seven games. He is a difference maker, and he needs to be fully healthy.
Cutting down turnovers is another key factor. The Warriors have always been a sloppy team and are ranked 26th in the league in turnovers per game at 15.1. Come playoff time, they will have to be clean and crisp with their ball movement, especially since the game slows down and every possession becomes valuable.
The sky is the limit for this team. They can do something special this season if they continue to buy into Kerr’s schemes and keep building team chemistry. Undoubtedly, the Warriors have become the most exciting team to look this season due to their astonishing ball movement and dazzling plays on the court, but can they translate that into a championship? We’ll have to wait and see.