Golden State Warriors: The Big 3 have turned back the clock in the WCFs

The Golden State Warriors’ Original Big 3 (Klay Thompson, Stephen Curry and Draymond Green) have turned back the clock in the Western Conference Finals.

The last time the Kevin Durant-less Golden State Warriors took the court for an extended period of time, they were the most dominant regular-season team in the history of the league.

That core is the same core that’s led them into battle in Game 1 and 2 of the Western Conference Finals. Led by Stephen Curry on offense and Draymond Green on defense, this team does all the little things it takes to find success.

In Game 2, they entered halftime down 15 points and saw the Trail Blazers lead blossom to 17 points. After it knicked 17, the Warriors quickly started to cut into it, going on a 13-0 run in just a few minutes.

This run showed exactly why the Warriors are so dangerous, and it started on the defensive end of the court.

They allowed 24 points in the third and just 13 during an 8-and-a-half minute stretch in that quarter. That defense then turned into offense with numerous Warriors leading the charge in the halfcourt, finding Klay Thompson on multiple occasions for open triples.

Their second-half eruption is exactly what allowed them to be the league’s best regular-season team during the 2015-2016 season.

It’s their unselfishness on both sides of the court that ignited such a dangerous string of plays. After a hard-to-watch first half, Golden state recorded 16 second-half assists, just seven fewer than Portland had all game.

This type of movement was rare in an offensive that allowed Kevin Durant isolation on a solid percentage of their plays prior to his mild right calf strain.

While that’s not a horrible, just different, way to play, it’s certainly hampered players like Draymond Green, who put up below-average numbers across the board this season. Without Durant, Green’s averaged 14 points, 10 rebounds and 6 assists.

Both Thompson and Curry have also thrived in the Western Conference Finals. Curry neared a triple-double in Game 2 while putting up over 35 points in both games. Klay’s averaged 25 points and over three triples per game.

This is the Warriors’ roster that helped Dub Nation conquer the league, and they haven’t forgotten who they now. They’re planning to remind the NBA of who they are, with or without Kevin Durant.