Golden State Warriors Kickstart Tough Schedule Against Utah Jazz
By Greg Chin
The Golden State Warriors saw two exceptional streaks end in their loss at home to the Chicago Bulls on Tuesday night. They shot 0-of-9 from behind the arc in the second half, and watched as their 19-game win streak at home was brutally ended in overtime. The Bulls also became the first Eastern Conference team to defeat the Warriors this season.
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Andrew Bogut’s absence was a key factor in the loss, as the Warriors were simply too small for the Bulls’ frontcourt. The Warriors might face that problem again on Friday night when they take on the Utah Jazz, who boast a frontcourt rotation of Enes Kanter, Rudy Gobert, and Derrick Favours (all 6’10” and above).
The Warriors are also facing a gruelling schedule, with four games in five days. This is the second time this season that they’ve had two back-to-back sets with only a day’s rest in between. The first game in their previous set was also against the Utah Jazz.
Key Matchups
Dante Exum vs Stephen Curry: The rookie Jazz point guard has taken over starting point guard duties of late, and will look to bother Stephen Curry with his length. Curry has been in a bit of a shooting slump, and hasn’t shot above 30 percent from behind the arc in his last three games. He might be in for a bounceback game against the Australian rookie.
Gordon Hayward vs Klay Thompson: All eyes will be on Klay, who just made his first All-Star team. The news comes as a well-deserved reward for Thompson, who has improved in leaps and bounds since signing his contract extension. Hayward, another player who signed a big contract during the offseason, hasn’t had quite the impactful season Klay has had.
Jazz Frontcourt vs Warriors’ Frontcourt: After missing the last game due to flu-like symptoms, Andrew Bogut might return to the starting lineup for this game. However, if he misses this game, the Warriors’ frontcourt starters could be Marreese Speights and Draymond Green – who were severely outrebounded in their last game. The Jazz frontcourt rotation is nothing to scoff at.
Keys to the Game
- Protecting the Defensive Glass
The Warriors were outrebounded in their last game, 48-61. They gave up 19 offensive rebounds to Bulls’ frontcourt, and also struggled on the glass in their last game against the Jazz. The Warriors will need to do their hard work on the glass and make sure the Jazz don’t get too many second chances.
- Three-point Shooting
After missing all nine attempts from three-point range in the second half of their last game, the Warriors will want to get out to a great shooting start. If their long-range shooting woes continue, we could be in for a long night.
- Great Start, Early Finish
With this game being their first of four in five nights, the Warriors will want to get off to a good start. If they are able to build a big enough lead, coach Steve Kerr could look to clear his bench and give the starters some rest before they play the Phoenix Suns at Oracle Arena the next night.
Prediction: Big win for the Golden State Warriors. The Dubs should win this comfortably, and I fully expect a big bounceback game from the Warriors, who have looked flat in their previous outings.
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