The Clippers smash-mouth style will set Warriors up perfectly for second round

The Golden State Warriors have been drilled by the Clippers in their opening series, and this gritty competition will prepare them for the second round.

The Los Angeles Clippers play a smash-mouth style of basketball. With Patrick Beverley and Montrezl Harrell having their best playoff series to date, the Clippers have beaten the mighty Golden State Warriors twice in five games.

Now up just 3-2, the Warriors need to close out the series on Friday night or risk a winner-take-all Game 7. Given how the Warriors have responded following losses both this postseason and during the regular season, expect Golden State to close out the series in Game 6.

As the Clippers would have it, much of the overall outcome is in their hands. Yes, Beverley and Harrell will get their buckets. Danilo Gallinari will even take on a good amount as well. At the end of the day, it’s Lou Williams who is the Clippers’ main X-factor.

He’s scored over 30 points in each of the Clippers victories. His offensive eruption is vital for Los Angeles to stay within striking range of Golden State. He is the gas to this somehow elite-level scoring offense.

The Williams-led Clippers ranked fourth in the league in points per game. They didn’t have an individual in the top-30 in points per game. While Williams leads the way, the Clippers are far from a one-man show.

Another surprising stat about the Clippers offensive is that they’re top-five in points per game yet not top-five in either three-pointers made or attempted per game. They don’t rely on the three-pointer to score, and that’s given Golden State some issues.

The Clippers aren’t the best shooting team. They aren’t the best rebounding team. But, during the regular season, they were a top-three team in free-throw attempts per game. They’ll get to the rim and draw contact.

In four of the five games, the Clippers have shot more free throws than Golden State, and in two of the five, they’ve shot over 10 more free throws. The Clippers are an elite team at drawing fouls and Golden State is not good at limiting their fouling.

Combine Williams elite-level scoring with the fact that they draw fouls and, even further, with Montrezl Harrell’s gritty play, and you have a team that’ll give Golden State issues. However, this team is a replica of the Houston Rockets, the team the Dubs will take on if they defeat LA.

This matchup will help them prepare for Houston. It’s difficult now, but in a few weeks, this first-round matchup might have been a blessing in disguise.