This series versus the Los Angeles Clippers has been a wake-up call for the Golden State Warriors. A Game 6 victory will turn out to be crucial.
In shocking fashion, the Los Angeles Clippers have stolen two games in Oracle Arena and are forcing their series against the Golden State Warriors to a sixth game. This series should have been an easy one for the Dubs but they have clearly struggled for some reason.
To keep it simple, the Dubs are being outworked. The Clippers have been a scrappy team all season long and the Warriors may be feeling a bit complacent. Four trips to the NBA Finals will do that to any team and the Dubs are no exception.
This year’s Warriors team has been extremely difficult to gage. Despite having the most star-studded roster in franchise history, the team doesn’t look as powerful as they did a year ago. Even with Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant putting up MVP type numbers and the team securing the best record in the Western Conference, something doesn’t feel right with this team.
Maybe it’s the fact that Klay Thompson has been more streaky than ever before. Klay began this series going 4-for-12 from the 3-point line and averaging just 13.7 points per game. Compare this to the first three games of last year’s playoffs when Thompson was averaging 25.7 points per game and shooting 13-for-20 from deep.
Or, maybe it’s because Draymond Green has gone ice cold from deep himself. Shooting an abysmal 18.8 percent from the 3-point line. This is by far the lowest percentage of his postseason career. Throw this in with the fact that DeMarcus Cousins suffered a season-ending injury and this team is dealing with a ton of adversity.
This, of course, isn’t even mentioning the absolute beat down that the Warriors bench has been enduring. The Clippers bench is more than doubling the scoring output of the Warriors second unit and this has clearly played a role in extending the series.
As a result of all of this, the Dub will need to end the series in Game 6. The margin for error has become lower than ever before for this team. A Game 7 upset would be extremely unlikely, but the sheer workload of playing a seven-game series this early in the playoffs could prove to be backbreaking.
Especially when considering that the competition is stronger than in years past. The Dubs will be playing the Houston Rockets next round, a team that whether you like it or not, has a legit chance of dethroning Golden State. Throw in a potentially red-hot Portland Trail Blazers team in the Conference Finals and any of the Eastern Conference powerhouses and this could get ugly quick for the Dubs.
In the end, I would still bet my money on the Dubs regardless of what happens in Game 6. With that being said, a victory in this next game will be crucial to their championship hopes.