The Power of Golden State's Small-Ball

The Warriors' 2015 championship team relied heavily on the small ball threat. In the new era of playoffs basketball in Golden State, they're going right back to their roots of small ball. Quick drive and kicks; filling lanes on the break-in five seconds or less; mismatches for bigs; flurries of threes; plenty of ways to explain how dangerous the style of play can be. Some teams have had decent success with small-ball. The Warriors' just happened to perfect it– again.

Much of the talk on social media has been around how effective the three-guard front has been with Curry, Thompson, and Poole. It deserves that love. There's no other trio in the league right now playing as well as them.

In this series against Denver, the Warriors' trio is averaging 76.4 points per game while shooting over 50% from the field and over 45% from three. The combination of efficiency and shot-making creates little to no wasted opportunities during games. We've seen the numerous ways that all of them can put the ball in the basket. It's a nightmare for any defense.

Draymond, in this lineup, does what he does best; he orchestrates the offense to perfection and with the same ability as any other point guard in the league. Bringing Green into this mix, the Dubs' fan base has tagged the group as "PTSD." This group is putting up incredible numbers, and it's the group that we've seen ignite the big runs that have led us to the 3-0 lead against Denver.

It's a fitting name for this group. The Warriors are dominating the playoffs again, and the entire league is shaking over how good Golden State is playing. While the nickname makes sense, it may seem a little unfair to one of the key pieces that have helped propel such a successful small-ball lineup– Andrew Wiggins. While the first-time all-star isn't putting up the same scoring numbers as during the regular season, his impact on the court is still being felt tremendously. The most significant way has been through his rebounding.

You've seen how well Wiggins has played in these last three games; he's been able to take advantage of attacking downhill and getting to the lane. It's what we were waiting to see Wiggins do as soon as this roster came to full health. It's been a brutal scene for Denver anytime they go into the scramble situation on their rotations. You're either giving up a layup to Wiggs or a three to three of the best shooters in the league.

Talent is almost everything when it comes to wanting to accomplish a level of offensive firepower as this small-ball lineup has in the playoffs. But there's always a mastermind behind this system. You need someone to put it into place and to know when it's time to turn it up and change the game's pace.

Again, this small-ball lineup is getting the love it so rightfully deserves. However, it's only right to show love to the man who has implemented this system with the talent: Coach Steve Kerr.

I've mentioned before that this offensive system has already won us three championships. While it may seem as if the Warriors are playing great team basketball, there's a roadmap to making team basketball. Coach Kerr has utilized the shooting talent and High IQ players better than any other coach might have done.

Kerr's motion offense is dedicated to backdoors and slips on the screens, setting countless flare screens and split action plays to get shooters open. It's what has allowed Golden State in their prime to consistently lead the league in team assists during their successful seasons.

The players and the coaches put in a collective effort to make this system work. It's a simple yet complex system that needs the right players to operate, and the Warriors have that roster again.

This great play as of late is what we got a glimpse of at the beginning of the season with the hot start. It's only three games into the playoffs, but it's three statement wins. It's all about momentum during this time of the season. With a healthy roster and everyone clicking at the right time, we can look at this team as not just a possible title contender but as the top contender.


(Photo credit: AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

Adam Campos