Win Streak And Reinforcements Lessen Chances Warriors Make Roster Moves
December may have been a bit of a fluke. A 5-game winstreak at home was nullified largely by a slow start to the season, and although the Warriors were playing some good basketball the last time they won as many games in a row, it was largely on the success of their stars instead of their signature team-oriented ball they’ve been playing.
These past two weeks have been a little bit different.
A loss to the new-look Lakers after the NBA All-Star Break made things out to be a little sketchier than they were. The team was coming off 9 days of rest, showed a little rust, and they were just beat up: Injuries have been a storyline for this team that’s gone a bit under the radar this season. That lethargic loss, however, helped with the reality check that Golden State needed at the break… and now that they’ve returned to their identity, this is a streak that looks replicable.
Over their last five games, the Warriors offense has looked… Middling (outside of Klay Thompson, who’s looking every bit of a legit first option while Stephen Curry sits with injury). They rank 12th in effective field goal percentage, 14th in points per game, they’re still bottom five in turnover percentage, and are 23rd in free throw rate - that doesn’t look like a recipe for success, but given Curry’s absence, it’s understandable.
The reason this streak looks more legit is because of the Warriors’ signature elite defense. They’re posting a league-leading defensive rating over the last five games of 100.6, 5 points better than the second-place Memphis Grizzlies. They’ve been locking down the paint despite their lack of traditional size, allowing the least amount of second-chance points per game (tied with Mike Brown’s Kings) and the 4th lowest opponent offensive rebounding percentage.
Carried largely by Kevon Looney at 11 boards a contest, the rebounding has been an excellent team effort and has allowed for wider margins of error on offense. The emergence of Jonathan Kuminga as a defense havoc-wrecker alongside Looney, Draymond Green, and Donte DiVincenzo has been a revelation, and he’s put the clamps on a number of star scorers over this recent stretch. The likes of Damian Lillard, Paul George, Anthony Edwards, and Brandon Ingram were challenges JoKu faced eagerly, and he proved himself in a big way with how well he defended the point of attack. Even Jordan Poole is showing a noticeably increased effort on the defensive end, taking after his mentor in Steph and working the passing lanes to be a pesky off-ball presence.
With all their success defensively, it’s just a matter of getting the offense going. And today against the Lakers, they’re about to get a whole lot more firepower.
Steph looks to be making his return at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles shortly after suffering a knee injury. The Warriors’ offensive naturally looks worlds different with Curry on the floor, and the way this team has been firing on all cylinders defensively, his talent will serve to juice the other end while opening up opportunities for his teammates to take advantage of the space he generates by just being there. Andre Iguodala’s game IQ and signature strip-steals will be available today as well, bringing a veteran edge in likely limited minutes.
With how hot the Warriors have been lately, it’s hard to see them making any roster moves on the buyout market. They’re proving once again that they don’t need a 7-footer to protect the rim like most other teams, instead playing great team defense to get the job done. While some frontcourt backup would be a boon for them, the more they win, the less likely it is they go for that. Gary Payton II is projected to be a late-season returner and will make it even more difficult for opponents to even get into the paint: The best way to deter points in the paint is to not let them get there in the first place, a defensive philosophy that the Warriors have employed to great effect in recent championship runs.
It remains to be seen whether or not either Anthony Lamb or Ty Jerome will be converted to the final full roster spot. Jerome’s earned it for sure but his position would mean a significant backcourt logjam that would force Golden State to almost always go small. Lamb’s played well recently, but his holes on defense are still noticeable and his play overall gives you the sinking feeling there’s going to be a playoff game his mistakes will cost the Warriors if he plays enough minutes.
Even if there isn’t a conversion on the two-way contracts, the team has looked more solid than it has all season. This final stretch against Western Conference potential playoff opponents will be very telling about where the gaps are, and if Bob Myers and company feel the need to fill those voids. If they keep this level of play up, however? I wouldn’t count on that being the case.
(Photo credit: NBAE / Getty Images)