Warriors: Ja Morant could be giving the blueprint to breaking “Fast Five”

Ja Morant dropped 47 points on the Golden State Warriors in Game 2.

While you can assume the dirty play by Dillon Brooks which resulted in an injury to Gary Payton II, who forced Morant in a missed driving layup to close out the Warriors’ one-point win in Game 1, Morant will make life difficult for the Warriors.

Ja Morant went off on the Warriors, and he was effective against their dynamic “Fast Five” lineup, laying a blueprint for defeating the dominant unit.

The Warriors’ “Fast Five” lineup, as it has been dubbed, hasn’t played up to par against the Morant-led Grizzlies, and in Game 2, it was even worse. It’s tough to quantify why they struggled, much of which could do with how inefficient the team was from three-point range.

However, Morant’s ability to attack the glass on a smaller lineup was also of paramount importance to breaking down the Dubs’ best unit.

The Warriors’ five-man lineup of Stephen Curry, Jordan Poole, Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins, and Draymond Green played 11 minutes, almost a quarter, in Game 2. It had an 83.3 offensive rating and a 134.8 defensive rating for a -51.4 net rating.

While the unit did well on the offensive boards, it was abused on the defensive glass, posting just a 46.2 defensive rebounding rate.

Morant’s ability to get Poole on him and then attack downhill without much rim protection or size on the court is concerning and could force the Warriors to go to a lineup with Otto Porter Jr. or Kevon Looney.

Even Nemanja Bjelica, who stands 6-foot-10 and is competent as a playmaker, could pose a threat if Brandon Clarke, who is a non-shooter, is on the court.

That said, the true shooting percentage of the Dubs’ death lineup in Game 2 was just 40.2%, so things will improve in that territory as those stars are too good to stay that inconsistent.

One bad game doesn’t mean it is broken, but figuring out how to slow down Morant with that unit on the court will be of utmost importance, especially with Chris Paul and Devin Booker likely on deck if the Warriors manage to get through Memphis.