Warriors, Come Out and Play .... Defense

[Built Ford Tough]

Nice article from Zach Lowe on Grantland about the much improved Warriors defense and how it has enabled them to get off to a very good start despite shooting struggles from Curry and Thompson, a difficult schedule, a season ending injury to Brandon Rush and no Andrew Bogut.

 

The Warriors, improbably, are getting by with a much-improved defense and solid work on the boards. Golden State is no. 2 in defensive rebounding rate after finishing dead stinking last in that category in each of the past four seasons. They’ve managed that despite facing six of the league’s top-10 offensive rebounding teams in their first 14 games, including two against Denver, which is on pace for the highest offensive rebounding rate the league has seen in a decade. They’ve managed it despite playing heavy minutes with both David Lee and Carl Landry on the floor; Landry has been a below-average defensive rebounder his entire career, and Lee’s gaudy individual rebounding numbers mask the fact that his teams have consistently rebounded better with him on the bench.

 

Golden State is 12th overall in points allowed per possession, up from 27th last season and 26th the year before. The Warriors, an annual mess on defense and one of the very worst rebounding teams ever last season, have turned into a solid defensive club and a very good rebounding bunch — without Andrew Bogut.

 

What the hell is going on here?

 

It’s nice to preach effort and passion and hustle, but the real story starts with boring old X's and O's. Mark Jackson, at the urging of his staff, decided over the summer to completely revamp Golden State’s basic defensive philosophy, he tells Grantland. The Warriors last season — without a proper training camp — mostly defended opposing pick-and-rolls by having the big man guarding the screener scamper far up above the screen, toward mid-court, to try to cut off the ball handler out there.

 

It didn’t work. Ball handlers turned the corner easily on Lee, Andris Biedrins, Jeremy Tyler, and the rest of Golden State’s bigs, slicing into the teeth of the defense and bending it until it broke. (Note: The Warriors were also tanking.) Deep penetration draws crisis-level help and creates open opportunities all around the floor — spot-up jumpers, chances at the rim for cutters, and wide lanes through which to pursue offensive rebounds.

 

Golden State has ditched that strategy. On pick-and-rolls in the middle of the floor, the Warriors now have their point guards try to force opposing ball handlers in a particular direction while the big man on the screener drops down toward the foul line on that side of the screen. The goal is to force the ball handler into a pocket above the foul line — to have the big man (Lee, Landry, whomever) waiting there, walling off the paint, as Stephen Curry or Jarrett Jack chases the opposing point guard from behind. It is the job of Curry and Jack to take away one direction at the start of the pick-and-roll, and to direct the the opposing guard the other way. At times, that means overplaying an opponent’s strong hand. At other times, it means jumping right in front of the screener, blocking the point guard’s path around the pick, and forcing him to dribble away from it.

 

http://www.grantland.com/blog/the-triangle/post/_/id/43662/warriors-come-out-and-play-defense

 

There is also more good stuff that I didn't quote above.

 

I remember having a discussion with Nitro before the season started about the Warriors defense and I was more optimistic than he was, but that was because of having a healthy Bogut. Even with a healthy Bogut, I didn't envision the Warriors playing this well defensively, let alone doing it without their defensive anchor. If they can continue to play this well defensively when Bogut returns to the lineup, they are going to be a playoff team in my opinion when you factor in that Bogut will only make them better defensively, as well as offensively with his passing ability and just being a vastly superior offensive player than Festus Ezeli.

 

Even if Bogut gets injured again or whatever, they are still a threat to make the playoffs if they continue to defend and clean up the glass like this because odds are Curry isn't going to continue to shoot in the low 40's from 16-23 feet and barely above 30% from 3-9 feet. Same thing with Thompson as I don't see him continuing to shoot in the low 30's from 3, and under 30% from 3-15 feet.