The prevailing Golden State Warriors story—despite 12 wins in 14 games and a starting lineup filled to the brim with All-Stars—has been about defense.
And for good reason, too. Head coach Steve Kerr's group is giving up 103.6 points per 100 possessions, a defensive rating roughly three points worse than last season's 100.9. The Warriors have grabbed only 73.5 percent of available defensive rebounds, which ranks second-to-last in the NBA.
On shots within five feet of the rim, the Warriors are allowing opponents to shoot 58.6 percent, an uptick from last season's 57.7 percent. And opponents' three-point shooting has climbed from 33.2 percent (second-lowest in 2015-16) to 34.2 percent (17th in the league).
The Warriors' inability to put together four quarters of competent defense has become a constant postgame refrain from Kerr. However, with added time and improved chemistry—as well as the addition of a plus defender in Kevin Durant—those numbers will start to crawl back toward the mean, something closer to last season's marks. ...
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NBA
Article written by Erik Malinowski
Criticize Warriors If You Want; Historically Great Offense Only Getting Better
November 22nd, 2016 by Erik Malinowski Leave a reply »
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