Are the Golden State Warriors the Great Pretenders?

It would be unabashed homerism to claim that the Golden State Warriors will undoubtedly bring the Larry O’Brien Trophy to the Bay in June. But it’s equally insane to dismiss the Warriors as legitimate title contenders.

The Warriors have finally shed the underdog narrative that has surrounded the franchise even before the “We Believe” era. Only 31 games remain in the regular season, and the Warriors have found a way to win an impressive 42 with their brand of basketball.

Statistics don’t lie, yet we’ve had to suffer through listening to the same tirade repeat itself time and time again. Plenty of “analysts” in sports media have created false conceptions about the Warriors – most likely based on the performance of past Warriors squads.

The most outspoken critic of Warriors’ basketball may very well be Charles Barkley. As one of the primary voices of the most popular basketball television program in the nation, Barkley holds power in what he says, despite his love for angry diatribes. Media personalities like Barkley tend to staunchly dismiss the Warriors’ legitimacy but fail to provide cold, hard facts to support their “analysis.” (Although Barkley has pronounced his strong disdain for analytics.) One might think Charles simply just hates the Warriors based on his rant on TNT’s  ‘Inside the NBA’.

Since the standings aren’t enough for some people, it’s time to start looking at the numbers.

Here’s a list of some of the main flaws analysts love to point out.

“They live and die by the jumper. When the game slows down, jump-shooting teams can’t win in the playoffs.”

This is probably the most common misconception about the Warriors. The “jump-shooting” mantra was much more apparent last season with Mark Jackson at the helm. Many possessions ended on isolations and post-ups. Curry was forced to create for his team on many occasions. Despite sitting on top of the standings and most power rankings, the pervasive notion that the Warriors can only shoot threes still lingers. The Warriors are currently third in 3 pointers attempted (27.1), behind Portland and Houston, but they rank 2nd in 3 point percentage.

Here is an updated shot chart of the Warriors field goal attempts and makes for this season. Does this look like a jump-shot only team?

Three-point attempts only account 31.1 of the Warriors’ shot attempts. 68.9 percent of their shots come from within the three point line. 39.4 percent of their attempts are within the restricted area. The Warriors currently rank third in points in the paint, many of which come from fast break points, where they rank first. While they utilize Curry and Klay as the main scoring threats, this isn’t a team that only loves to shoot the long ball.

The Warriors currently rank third in points in the paint, many of which come from fast break points, where they rank 1st.

The Warriors put up very similar numbers to the Atlanta Hawks, but they receive the same criticism surrounding the Warriors. It’s fair game to compare this team’s offensive efficiency to that of last year’s champions, the Spurs. The numbers are eerily similar.

The Spurs ranked second in field goal percentage. The Warriors rank first. The Spurs ranked second in both true shooting percentage and effective field goal percentage. The Warriors are now ranked first in both of those categories. The Spurs were also leaders in three-point percentage, albeit they shot significantly less threes.

More from Warriors News

• 3x champion may come to regret forgoing Golden State Warriors reunion
• Golden State Warriors: History shows USA may need Stephen Curry for more than the Olympics
• Golden State Warriors villain pours on more pain to end USA’s World Cup
• Golden State Warriors: Stephen Curry continues philanthropic efforts off the court
• The Dream starting 5 for the Warriors 5 years from now

Like last year’s Spurs, the Warriors move the ball better than any other team, with 27.1 assists per game. The Warriors are tied with the Hawks for the highest assist ratio in the league (19.7).  They rank second in the assisted field goal percentage  at 65.2 percent. As the Spurs showed last June, an elite passing team is nothing to scoff at. Yes, the Spurs didn’t attempt as many threes as the Warriors do now, but making and taking easy looks was an integral part of their game.

The Warriors do lack a low-post scoring presence like Tim Duncan, however if their game plan remains predicated on ball and player movement, they might be able to find as much success as the Spurs.

While the long ball is one of their strongest assets, the Warriors’ main weapon lies in  their ability to move the ball. Instead of a jump shooting team, they should be considered a passing team.

“They ‘re too soft to win in a seven-game series.”

As colleague Greg Chin pointed out earlier in the year, soft teams are usually lacking on the defensive end. Soft teams don’t smother opponents like the Warriors do.

The Warriors are the leaders in defensive efficiency (97.3 points per 100 possessions), opponent field goal percentage (46.7%), and average scoring margin (+10.9). They rank 2nd in defensive rebounding, 2nd in blocks, and 4th in steals.

Curry’s improved defense, along with the collective athleticism and wingspan of the roster (Draymond Green, Klay Thompson, Harrison Barnes, Andre Iguodala, Shaun Livingston, Justin Holiday) has allowed the the team to essentially play position-less defense.

The Warriors have more or less maintained their defensive intensity throughout the season, and they haven’t given any reason to believe that they will get much worse.

Are the Warriors Just Pretenders?

As San Antonio has proven,  defense and ball movement wins championships.

What do the Warriors do best? Passing and defending.

The Warriors aren’t perfect by any means. The post-season is months away, so they still have much to prove. Their playoff hopes rely largely on the health of their defensive anchor and key playmaker, Andrew Bogut. They still have some issues to work out including getting to the line, avoiding stupid fouls, and getting out-rebounded. They also haven’t shot the ball well as of late.Their shot and pass selection has room to improve.

However, it’s hard to ignore facts.

The Warriors are an offensive and defensive juggernaut. While they’ve historically struggled against teams like Memphis and San Antonio, the Warriors finally overcame their troubles against Houston after completing a season sweep, demonstrating their will to win.

Anything’s possible. Unlike a former head coach, Steve Kerr has shown he is always well prepared. The Warriors have shown that through 51 contests that they can maintain their style of play and only lose 9 games.

Will that style get them through the playoffs?

Only they can answer that.

Next: Roundtable Discussion: The Best Moment of the Warriors' Season Thus Far