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The “Old” Warriors Are Back, Baby!

By Greg Chin

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Everyone knows the old adage: “Two is better than one”.

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By that same logic, three is also better than two – and the Golden State Warriors proved that unequivocally last night. After suffering two sub-par games shooting from long-range, the Warriors have been back to their sharpshooting selves over the previous two games, destroying the Grizzlies’ defence from the perimeter.

Last night, the Warriors made 14 of their 30 attempted threes, while the Grizzlies only attempted 15 and made just four. The difference came from the perimeter. By making ten more three-point field goals, the Warriors effectively gave themselves a 30-point buffer. In order to make up that difference, the Grizzlies would have to score 15 extra two-point field goals, and do so against the best regular-season defence in the league.

May 13, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson (11) celebrates after making a three-point basket while being fouled during the fourth quarter in game five of the second round of the NBA Playoffs against the Memphis Grizzlies at Oracle Arena. The Warriors defeated the Grizzlies 98-78. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Every time the Warriors made two threes, the Grizzlies would have to counter with three two-point field goals. And as the Warriors started to rain down threes unrelentingly, the gulf got bigger and bigger.

Case in point: the Grizzlies were actually ahead by 13 points with 3:26 left to go in the first quarter. The Warriors ended the quarter with three three-point field goals and finished with a one-point lead. The Grizzlies did not score.

Another startling statistic is how many fast break points the Grizzlies gave up. The Grizzlies’ transition defence has been superb in this series, limiting one of the Warriors’ great offensive strengths, and stopping them from running the transition offense. The Warriors led the league in fast break points during the regular season, averaging 20.9 points per game. The Grizzlies have managed to slow their offense down, and until Game Four, were able to contain the Warriors’ fast-break offense.

The Grizzlies gave up 29 fast break points last night, and scored 6 of their own. Memphis isn’t known as an up-tempo team, but giving up that many fast-break points should be regarded as a cardinal sin for a team with such a strong defensive identity.

The worst part was that many of those fast break points came from behind the arc – compounding the issue even further.

May 13, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Memphis Grizzlies center Marc Gasol (33) shoots the basketball against Golden State Warriors forward David Lee (10) during the fourth quarter in game five of the second round of the NBA Playoffs at Oracle Arena. The Warriors defeated the Grizzlies 98-78. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

But, the offense wasn’t the only thing humming last night. The Warriors’ defensive identity had gone missing in Games 2 and 3, as they struggled to deal with the Grizzlies’ big man duo. After coach Steve Kerr instructed them to double-team the big men in the post, their defence has been much better, and has limited the Grizzlies to their two-lowest scoring games of the series.

The Warriors are looking like the regular-season Warriors we’ve all come to know and be in awe of. This was the team that many thought would win the NBA title handily, combining a blend of stifling defence with devastating offence. The team’s depth was showcased again, as only one player scored more than 20 points (Klay Thompson), while three others scored more than 14.

The defence, the offence, the team depth are all back for the Warriors. And if the rest of the playoff teams are watching, they should be very very afraid.

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