Knock Knock Postseason, the Warriors Are Coming

The official playoff seeding has yet to be finalized, the play-in tournament has yet to begin, and already other Western Conference teams are hoping to bypass a seven-game series with Golden State. In a season where Stephen Curry was supposed to get “exposed” with the lack of firepower around him, the Warriors are becoming a threat even as a potential eighth seed. Remember when ESPN predicted Golden State to finish 14th in the West?

The criticisms piled up before the season started, and as Golden State closes out the regular season, they’ve proven to be debunked. The Warriors are deemed a threat in the postseason because they’re playing playoff-level basketball right now. There’s a formula for success if you want to make noise in the playoffs, and Golden State has illustrated that as of late.

These three factors are why no Western Conference playoff team wants to go seven games with the Golden State Warriors.

Steph going berserk

It seems as if Steph is capable of “saving his legacy” every single night, much to the chagrin of his critics, but Warriors fans are strangers to the scoring barrage Curry has delivered on his opponents. In his record-breaking month of April, Stephen Curry averaged 37.3 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 4.6 assists while shooting 51.8 percent from the field and 46.6 percent from behind the arc. Simply outrageous, and that level of excellence will be needed as you play teams more consistently in the postseason, with rotations tightened during a series.

Those video game-like numbers won’t just win you the scoring title or NBA Player of the Month, they prove to be the catalyst for igniting this Warriors team at the right time. As Steph goes so does this team, and in every facet of the game: ball movement, defense, you name it. That extra effort to dive for the loose ball or secure the offensive rebound, it heightens when your star player is at the echelon of his game. After all, Steph isn’t a system player: he is the system.

Draymond in DPOY form

Golden State prides itself on its defense, and at the heart of the effort is Draymond Green. When he’s locked in and engaged, you want him on your team, disrupting the opponent’s offense. Green made some noise earlier in the season when he declared himself as the best defender ever, and when you consider the way the game has evolved today, he has a compelling case. Draymond can effectively guard all positions one through five, and his Defensive Player of the Year form as of late has the Warriors primed for the postseason.

Draymond has averaged 1.7 steals in his last 10 games, on top of averaging double-digit rebounds and assists during the same timeframe. On the season, Green is top 10 in defensive win shares and top five in defensive box plus/minus. When he’s locked in he has the ability to disrupt the opponent’s best plan of attack and more importantly, turn defense into offensive opportunities.

Next man up

In a game that had no postseason implications, the Warriors sat Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, and Andrew Wiggins Friday night against the New Orleans Pelicans. A loss would have no significance, with all eyes towards the future matchup. But a big win would signify that this Warriors roster is capable of the next-man-up mentality, an x-factor that proves essential in the postseason. In a 125-122 victory, we received assurance that Golden State has the bench to be up for the task.

Jordan Poole, continuing his sophomore season climb, dropped 38 points on 12-of-22 shooting, including going 4-for-9 from the three-point line and 10-of-11 from the stripe. It was the icing on the cake after Juan Toscano-Anderson signed a much-deserved multi-year deal on Thursday. JTA has scored in double-digits 10 times this season, including a career-high 20 points in a victory over the Cavaliers back on April 15.

Both are just two highlights of how this Warriors bench has embraced the role of next man up. Golden State has always embraced the phrase “Strength in Numbers” and this season is no different. With a play-in format on the horizon, it leaves the Warriors with the opportunity to play spoiler to the teams atop the Western Conference. If Golden State hopes to achieve that level of disruption, it’ll take the effort of everyone on the roster, not just the star players. As the season draws to a close, Golden State’s bench has shown they’re up to the task and primed to make some noise in the postseason.