Warriors Paving the Way for the Future of the NBA

They said jump shooting teams couldn’t win in the NBA.

They said the fast-paced up-tempo style wouldn’t fare well in the postseason.

They said the Golden State Warriors were an unproven quantity, and their regular season success would mean nothing in the playoffs.

They were wrong.

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The Warriors will play their first ever Western Conference Final since 1976 after soundly defeating the Memphis Grizzlies on the road last night. Once again, the Warriors outpaced the Grizzlies, and used their superior perimeter shooting to create an unassailable lead over their inside-focused opponents.

The Warriors’ shooters were on point last night, making 15 of their 32 three-point attempts. Meanwhile, the Grizzlies were 4-of-16 from long range. The extra 11 made three-point field goals were enough to compensate for the Grizzlies having more rebounds, free throw and field goal attempts than the Warriors.

But, perhaps more importantly, this series paved the way for the negative bias surrounding jump shooting teams to recede. The second-round clash between these two teams was billed as the battle of contrasting playing styles. Some even referred to it as the Warriors’ new school offense going up against the old-school offense of the Grizzlies.

In the end, this series’ victory should be seen as a victory for jump-shooting teams everywhere.

May 15, 2015; Memphis, TN, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) shoots a three point shot in the second half defended by Memphis Grizzlies guard Mike Conley (11) in game six of the second round of the NBA Playoffs at FedExForum. Warriors defeated the Grizzlies 108-95. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports

Now, I’m not trying to discredit the Grizzlies’ offense. Their grind-it-down style of play clearly works for them, and with their stingy defence on point, they are a difficult team to beat. However, when going up against a perimeter-heavy team, their offense was always going to struggle to keep up.

Even with the Warriors’ sub-par perimeter shooting in the playoffs (38.5 percent from three), they are averaging 11.5 three-point field goals per game. They averaged 11.3 three-point field goals per game during this series, while the Grizzlies had a miserly 4.2 three-point field goals per game. The discrepancy essentially ensured the Grizzlies had to find a way to score an extra 21 points per game just to even the game. And with their sputtering offense, it was always going to be an uphill battle.

For those who are still clinging onto the belief that jump-shooting teams cannot succeed in the NBA, here’s a stat for you: the five remaining teams in the playoffs were top five in three-pointers made during the regular season.

The NBA is always evolving. Teams play to their strengths, and when one tactic succeeds, other teams follow. It’s no secret that the NBA is a copycat league. Just look at the current craze sweeping the NBA: the notion that two or more superstars are needed to win the title, which results in “superteams” and team-ups popping left right and center.

But if the Warriors are able to win it all this season, they could end up being the trailblazer for the future of the NBA.

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