Contrasting nature of Golden State Warriors’ last two playoff series
The last time we saw the Golden State Warriors in the postseason, they conquered the Boston Celtics in Game 6 to claim the 2022 NBA title and their fourth championship in the last eight seasons.
In that series, the Warriors came up against one of the best defenses in modern NBA history. The Celtics had turned themselves into a juggernaut on that end of the floor, only for that to be blown up by one man in Finals MVP Stephen Curry. Now preparing to face the Sacramento Kings in the first-round, Golden State will be presented with a completely different challenge.
The Golden State Warriors will have their work cut out defending the Sacramento Kings and their league-best offense under former assistant coach Mike Brown.
A long-time assistance next to Steve Kerr, Mike Brown has integrated much of the Warrior offense into what the Kings do. They don’t possess shooters like Curry or Klay Thompson, but they do have an excellent passing big man in Domantas Sabonis, and a number of smart wings who know how to work effectively off the ball.
The result? Sacramento led the league in offensive rating during the regular season, a remarkable achievement given Brown was hired less than 12 months ago. It’s also an extraordinary rise after being ranked 24th in the league during the 2021-22 season.
So dominant was the Kings offense that there was a bigger gap between them and second (Boston Celtics), than there was between the Celtics and the fifth-ranked Denver Nuggets. Now the question turns to whether that can translate to the postseason where opponents can fully plan and prepare across a seven-game series.
We also mustn’t forget that, while Curry may have been the one who stole the show and the headlines, it was the defense that helped elevate the Warriors to another title. Led by Andrew Wiggins’ job on Jayson Tatum, Golden State suffocated Boston to the point of submission by series end.
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That has to give the Warriors some confidence on their capacity to restrict the Kings, particularly given they’ve reloaded with the recent return of Gary Payton II. Still, Sacramento are capable of executing in the half court and are incredibly dangerous in transition. The battle between their offense and the Golden State defense could ultimately decide the series, and it will be fascinating to witness the meticulous workings of both Kerr and Brown.