In what was perhaps the best basketball game of the last two years, the Golden State Warriors went back and forth with the reigning champs, trading blows and nearly knocking off the Los Angeles Lakers in the Play-In Tournament.
Alas, LeBron James and the Lakers prevailed — but, it was a strong defensive battle from both sides that made that game so exciting, And, it is that same defensive effort from Golden State that will be needed to beat Memphis.
In order to keep their season alive, the Golden State Warriors will need to be ready for a grit-and-grind throwdown versus Memphis.
The Dubs will have the benefit of playing in front of their home crowd on Friday but there is no doubt the Grizzlies will be bringing their grit-and-grind mentality with them on the road. Although the Warriors are typically known for their flash and 3-point shooting, this squad is one of the grittiest team’s in the league themselves.
Their game against the Lakers was a great indication of how scrappy the Warriors have been all season long. Draymond Green was relentless in squashing the Lakers’ pick-and-roll and while his aggressive defense caused him to rack up five fouls, it also served in neutralizing Anthony Davis for most of the game.
Meanwhile, guys like Andrew Wiggins, Kevon Looney and Juan Toscano-Anderson were going all-out to help their team. Wiggins has quickly become an elite, versatile perimeter defender while JTA and Looney were mucking it up in the paint to make life difficult for Los Angeles.
As for the Grizzlies, they’ve taken pride in being an all-around team that claws their way to victory each night. In particular, Dillon Brooks will be hounding Stephen Curry all night as perhaps the most intense backcourt defender in the NBA.
Most of all, the Dubs will have to deal with Jonas Valanciunas. The massive center racked up 23 points and 23 rebounds in a win over San Antonio. This could be a concern for the Dubs as Looney stands as their only true center in the rotation. Perhaps Jordan Bell will see playing time, but he is also undersized and has played just 15 minutes for the Dubs this season.
There is no question the Warriors are a better scoring team than Memphis. They beat them in just about every offensive metric. Yet, this game will likely come down to who is going to outwork the other and enforce their style onto the other.