With a differential of +77 after two games, the Warriors have had a record start to the season. Never has an NBA team signed two spankings of this magnitude and Golden State's shooters and the depth of the squad are not the only keys to this superb start. While this was the big weak point of last season, the defense seems much better, and Steve Kerr is impressed by the involvement of his players.
“The general athletic qualities stand out to me! » he underlines after the victory against Jazz. “We didn’t have that last year. From the first player to the last player on the team, we have excellent defenders. I thought Draymond was excellent on Markkanen at the start of the match, and that set the tone. »
Incumbents lead the way
While the attack is unlocked with the entry of the substitutes (150 points in two matches, a record!), the defense is put in place with the starting five. This contrasts with previous years. “What we know is that the starting five must make the difference in defense to start matches.”
A formula that works, and Kevon Looney is the first to be delighted with it. Now understudy for Trayce Jackson-Davis, he confirms that there is a completely different state of mind within the group.
“Steve, our coaches and Jerry Stackhouse challenged us to make it our brand”, he explains about the defense. “We have to be physical, fast and combative. I think we embodied that in the first two matches. They ask us to take our responsibilities. Our communication has reached a high level since the start of the season. We must continue on this path. We have a lot of interchangeable guys, a lot of guys with size and length that are very active. »
And this is just the beginning
Among his “interchangeable” players are rookies like Kyle Anderson and De’Anthony Melton. “With rookies like Kyle and Melton, but also Andrew, Jonathan, Trayce… With Draymond who is one of the best defenders of all time… We have guys on the field who know the game and know where to make differences. We have a lot of guys who have good hands and who are really special on defense,” said Looney. “We're showing what we can do, and this is just a preview. We are still learning from each other, we are still learning our patterns. It’s only the second game, but we can be very, very good.”
