Nothin’ but Net: Unsung Warriors have huge impact
Philadelphia, PA (SportsNetwork.com) – The Golden State Warriors are the best team in the NBA for reasons passing the obvious.
Bold moves and commitment have put the Warriors atop the standings in the NBA. They haven’t lost since the Hoover Administration and are the association’s most lethal two-way threat.
They rank third in scoring and sixth in opponents’ scoring. Doesn’t take an analytics nerd to figure that yields a high margin of victory. The Warriors win by an average of 10.9 ppg. That’s also first.
The Splash Brothers are headed to the All-Star game, deservedly so.
Steph Curry is a statistical freak of nature. He’s sixth in scoring, fifth in assists, eighth in steals, third in free-throw shooting and first in 3- pointers made.
Klay Thompson is 14th in scoring, eighth in 3-point shooting percentage and fourth in made 3-pointers.
Even Curry has emerged into a legitimate NBA defender and Thompson was already considered an elite wing stopper.
So, yes, the Splash Brothers are studs who carry this team offensively. The nickname is still stupid, but the point is they are All-NBA caliber guys.
Their importance is paramount to be clear. It is not singular to the Warriors’ obscene success to this point.
Steve Kerr came into the Warriors’ coaching job as the trendy name this offseason. He brushed aside the courtship of one of his mentors, Phil Jackson and the New York Knicks, to take the Golden State gig.
He’s a west-coast guy and the rosters weren’t comparable, so it made sense. It wasn’t the easiest transition in the history of business transactions. Former coach Mark Jackson resuscitated this franchise, but was shown the door because of some friction with ownership.
Jackson’s players were fiercely loyal to their former coach, but now, it looks like Kerr has been their uncle for eternity. The group plays beautiful team basketball and Kerr made perhaps the biggest, boldest decision he could make from the beginning.
He reinserted Harrison Barnes into the starting lineup in favor of Andre Iguodala. Barnes started as a rookie two seasons ago, then went to the bench when Iguodala was signed in the summer of 2013.
Getting maximum output from Barnes has been crucial to the Warriors’ success. Building him back into the productive player he was as a rookie was a tough task for Kerr.
“I think he needed to play this year,” Kerr said after Thursday’s victory over the New Orleans Pelicans. “Last year was a tough year for him. He needed to play and let loose. He’s taken advantage of the minutes.”
Draymond Green is a similar story. He played quite a bit in the last playoffs under Jackson, but now, he’s becoming vital.
And their presence has given Golden State’s biggest asset to date – their ability to switch on defense. With the exception of Andrew Bogut, every player in the starting five, and much of the bench, can switch any pick-and-roll on the floor.
“That’s the strength of our defense really, along with Bogs protecting the rim, the versatility on the wings, the ability to switch and get out on 3- point shooters,” Kerr said.
Bogut is undervalued, but Kerr’s decision to tweak that starting lineup has been genius. It was a brash decision. Iguodala signed a four-year, $48 million contract in 2013, meaning, a man making a shade over $12 million was demoted for a third-year guy who lost his spot a season prior and a second-round pick in Green.
Its brilliance is how it’s enhanced the second unit. Iguodala isn’t the explosive player he once was, but can still get the opposition’s shirt. Shaun Livingston was signed in the offseason after a career redefining season with Brooklyn in 2013-14. Marreese Speights averages 12.4 ppg in 15.8 minutes per game.
“We have enough scoring coming off the bench, but the fact we can continue to defend even with our starters off the floor, that’s a really big factor for us,” said Kerr.
And the bench should get enhanced shortly. David Lee has played all of seven minutes for the Warriors this season, but is expected back shortly from a hamstring injury.
Kerr should be committed if he tinkers with that first unit, so where does Lee fit in? We are talking about a two-time All-Star who averaged 18.2 ppg and 9.3 rebounds a night for Golden State last season.
“We need him. We’ll find ways to play,” noted Kerr. “It may mean a few less minutes for Harrison and Draymond. We have great chemistry and guys are playing for each other. When David comes back, and things change rotation- wise, guys are going to accept it.”
And that demonstrates another beautiful aspect of this Warriors’ team. This is a cohesive group that doesn’t let ego get in the way of a good thing. Sounds simple and obvious enough, but in 2014, how often does that really happen?
“There’s nothing better in the NBA than being on a team like this where you have good guys and you’re winning,” Kerr said.
For veterans like Iguodala and Lee to be willing to sacrifice for the betterment of the group is too uncommon. Barnes and Green are better players right now and better fits in Kerr’s schemes, which are predicated on versatility.
And good on Kerr for going with what’s best. Iguodala and Lee make a combined $27 million and were integral to the development and success of Golden State. It would be easy to play favorites to the veterans, especially in your first gig and especially considering the potentially fragile nature of the group after what transpired with Jackson.
But Kerr put his horses on display and it’s working. It also doesn’t hurt that Kerr has gone younger during this process.
“We talk about the development of [a franchise] is when your young players develop,” said TNT’s Reggie Miller. “Harrison Barnes, Draymond Green, Steph Curry and Klay Thompson have gotten better each year. That’s why the Warriors franchise is in good hands moving forward.”
It’s in great hands now.
RANDOM THOUGHTS
– Good for the Philadelphia 76ers. No one wants that record of worst start to a season. They play hard, they work hard, so good for them. The all-time worst record of 9-73 is, however, in play.
– Potential Western Conference All-Star guards: Curry, Thompson, Chris Paul, Kobe Bryant, James Harden, Monta Ellis and Damian Lillard. Frontcourt guys: Anthony Davis, DeMarcus Cousins, Marc Gasol, Blake Griffin, Dirk Nowitzki, LaMarcus Aldridge and Zach Randolph. That doesn’t account for the fact that Kevin Durant will probably fare well in the fan vote and Dwight Howard was superb before injury.
– The Los Angeles Lakers are 5-14, but 1-13 within the Western Conference. So, that should show how bad the East is that LA is 4-1 against them.
– You love the Washington Wizards? I do. They’re loaded. Going to be a force in the Eastern Conference, right? The Atlanta Hawks are a game behind them. The always .500, duller than taupe Hawks could be the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference by the end of the weekend.
– Movie moment – I’m a sucker for the Oscars, so it’s cool to me that one of my favorite character actors – J.K. Simmons – is sounding like a shoo-in for Best Supporting Actor. Before you look him up, he was the dad in “Juno,” the psychiatrist in “Law & Order,” the hideous white supremacist in “Oz,” is the yellow peanut M&M and currently is the dean of students for Farmer’s Insurance. What range.
– TV moment – My son was acting up a bit on Thursday night so my girlfriend put on the live screening of “Peter Pan” on NBC. He said, “am I in trouble?” I was harsh on “The Sound of Music” and I’d never watch that, or “Peter Pan” voluntarily, but I respect those involved. They knew scorn was coming, but did it anyway.
Categorized in: NBA