In the aftermath of the Golden State Warriors comprehensive victory in game one of the Western Conference Finals, many on social media were quick to alert the Dallas Mavericks of the tougher challenge ahead.
This isn’t the Phoenix Suns. You’re no longer playing that team. This is championship level basketball. pic.twitter.com/uas0lPd8at
— StatMuse (@statmuse) May 19, 2022
https://twitter.com/susan1234456789/status/1527126763867971585
But while the Phoenix-related comments might be a throwaway line in the wake of the Warriors’ dominant victory, it does have a much deeper meaning that underpinned the result of game one.
The Golden State Warriors delivered a near-perfect performance in game one of the Western Conference Finals, delivering a brutal reality check to Dallas.
The Warriors’ defense, particularly against superstar Luka Doncic, may have been the biggest takeaway for the series moving forward. But for this exercise and the contrast in the Warriors’ and Suns’ style, let’s focus on the offensive end of the floor.
Phoenix Suns’ offense
Phoenix were one of the leading pick-and-roll teams in the league this season, playing a more simplistic style based on the strength of their best players – two lead ball handlers in Chris Paul and Devin Booker, both of which have masterful mid-range games to take advantage of drop coverage.
This was complemented by an elite rolling big man in DeAndre Ayton, along with three-point and cutting threats like Mikal Bridges, Jae Crowder and Cam Johnson who could capitalize on a collapsing defense.
DA doing THIS out of the pick-and-roll is going to make the Suns' offense downright unstoppablepic.twitter.com/FfXPsK45rt
— Gerald Bourguet (@GeraldBourguet) December 15, 2021
The Suns had the seventh-highest pick-and-roll frequency during the regular season, as well as the third-highest in the playoffs. This was a major aspect of their league-leading regular season, yet over a seven-game series, it’s a style that can become a lot more predictable.
For a good team like the Mavericks with a defensive-minded head coach in Jason Kidd, it becomes a lot easier to find successful schemes that counter that style. As we saw, Dallas overcame a 2-0 deficit to take the series 4-3, punctuated by an incredible first half of game seven where the Suns were limited to 27 points.