Between Klay Thompson’s return, rotational changes, Stephen Curry’s skill issues, and Draymond Green’s injury absence, the Warriors could have, and maybe even should, have gone downhill. After a short slump, they have just won six of their last seven games, all at home, on the back of a defense that continues to be the best in the NBA.
Last night’s game against the Nets was symbolic of the offensive roller coaster the Warriors are on. Like the “Splash Brothers”, who caught fire in the last quarter after being very average during the first three quarters, Golden State alternated the very good as against Minnesota and Dallas, and the less good like against Houston and Utah. But during these seven games, Steve Kerr’s men have limited five teams below the 106 point mark (Detroit, Utah, Dallas, Houston, Brooklyn). In his eleven days in San Francisco, the Warriors retained the third-best defense in the league with a defensive rating of 105.5 points per 100 possessions.
Source: Cleaning The Glass, January 18-29
Steve Kerr also admitted to being surprised by the level of his defense without Draymond Green or Andre Iguodala on the floor.
“To be this good defensively without Draymond is really impressive,” he confirmed after the victory over the Nets. “Draymond is our engine on this side of the field, he is not only our best defender but in my opinion the best defender in the league, and to be able to keep the same state of mind, the same work ethic, the same effort without him. , it’s really strong. “
These performances highlight the strength of Golden State’s defensive system. Unlike Utah, for example, which is lost without Rudy Gobert, the Warriors’ defense continues to rely on the principles laid down by Mike Brown, Kerr’s assistant in charge of defense. Even though Green leads the defense, the others aren’t lost without him, and it’s a collective first.
“Mike Brown is doing a great job this year with our defense. We added good defenders, like Gary Payton II and Otto Porter Jr. who are still well placed, and we have continuity with Loon (Kevon Looney), with Wiggs (Andrew Wiggins), and that allows us to compensate for absences ,” continues Kerr.
Klay Thompson went in the direction of his coach, putting his finger on the long segments and the large sizes of his teammates, allowing the Warriors to switch easily. Andrew Wiggins used the words “confidence” and “rigor” to describe Golden State’s success on this side of the field. The Warriors are connected and help each other in defense, and then there is one last ingredient that often makes the difference, envy.
“We are starved to death in this team, we all defend hard in every game,” summed up Klay Thompson, who has been gradually adding to this defensive potential since his return. “We have players who don’t get the praise they deserve in defence. Whether it’s Looney or Otto (Porter Jr.) for example. Gary (Payton II) should be on an All-Defensive Team this season. Ditto for Andrew (Wiggins), he can defend on everyone. “
If Wiggins recalls that ” Draymond makes everyone’s job easier when he’s there, because he can do anything“, the Warriors are proud of this solidity. No one wants to be singled out by Mike Brown during video shoots. Brown has instituted a defensive stat to measure each player’s impact, and it’s all of these details and determination to defend, no matter what, that has allowed Golden State to build the best defense in the league this season.
” We know that if we defend hard, we will have a chance to win any game, concludes Kerr. ” It’s been our philosophy for a long time and I’m really proud of what this group has achieved so far.“.
Interview in San Francisco.
