Can the Splash Brothers Lead the Golden State Warriors to a NBA Title?
The inside shot has long been a staple for NBA teams.
Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
Some can recall the lethality of Shaquille O’Neal‘s drop step, the craftiness of Hakeem Olajuwon‘s “Dream Shake,” and the complete and utter dominance of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar‘s sky hook. There’s also the fables of Wilt Chamberlain to draw from, as well as stories of George Mikan and his ambidextrous inside touch.
Logically, shots in the paint are easier to knock down because players are so close to the basket, which normally increases the success rate of shots — the further a player is from the basket, the lower that player’s shooting percentage becomes. Points inside are seen as the easy buckets, which many could assume yield a higher percentage of accuracy when compared to jump shots.
However, such is not the case with the Golden State Warriors, led by the prolific jump shooting backcourt of MVP-frontrunner Stephen Curry and All-Star sharpshooter, Klay Thompson.
Yes, the Warriors could possibly use a more consistent, more dominant offensive presence in the paint. At the moment, Golden State is without an offensive presence inside with Draymond Green playing more and more behind the arc and bigger guys like Andrew Bogut and David Lee not having the same touch around the rim they had earlier in their careers.
The theory behind the concept of needing a dominant inside presence stems the effectiveness of having a dominant inside presence surrounded by jump shooters to spread the floor: when a team gets hot from outside, the defense is forced to close out on shooters therefore opening up easy shots inside; when things become too easy for the dominant inside man, the defense is forced to double or collapse thereby freeing up outside shooters.
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In addition, a well-rounded big man has historically been a necessity for a NBA team with title aspirations. Prior to the anomaly that was Michael Jordan, two-way big men were highly coveted by every organization. The thought process: first get a big man, then build around him.
It’s natural for veterans of the game to not consider Golden State the title favorite. History has proven that a solid two-way big man is key to a NBA championship run, and the Warriors have had no such luxury for quite a long time.
But the thing about the Warriors — or more specifically, Curry and Thompson — is they make three-point jumpers look like finger rolls.
Blessed with unbelievable shooting touch and utilizing two very different, but effective shooting forms, the Splash Brothers have led Golden State to the NBA’s best record of 50-12. Analysts and fans of other teams may have a problem with Golden State’s system, but the end certainly justifies the means and thus makes it difficult to argue with.
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While they’re making their way in the conversation for best backcourt ever to hit the hardwood, the Splash Brothers are arguably the frontrunner for best shooting backcourt in the modern NBA.
Curry still holds the record for most threes in a single season with 272 total and has led the NBA in total three-point field goals made for two consecutive seasons. In just his sixth season, he’s cracked the career top-60 in total three-pointers made, and he’s currently fourth all-time in career three-point percentage (43.6). This season he’s fourth in shooting percentage from behind the arc (42.2) and leads the NBA with 207 threes made.
Equally impressive is Thompson, who just this season set a NBA record nine three-pointers made in a single quarter. He’s 14th all-time in career three-point percentage (41.6), and he’s just recently passed up Warriors head coach Steve Kerr in total three-pointers made. He’s right behind Curry in total threes made this season with 187, and he’s second in season three-point shooting percentage (43.4) behind Kyle Korver of the Atlanta Hawks.
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They’ve combined for an average 45.5 points per game this season, making up roughly half of the points the Warriors score per night (a league-high 109.6). They also occupy the top two spots on the list of franchise three-point leaders, and things are thankfully looking as if they’ll be playing together for the foreseeable future.
So with Golden State boasting two players that shoot so efficiently from outside — two players that are capable of doing things previously unheard of and thought unfathomable — what need is there for a dominant big man to win a title?
The road to a title is still looking to be a tough one for the Warriors with 20 games still remaining and the odds stacked against them. Yes — the Warriors rely heavily on their prowess behind the arc to win games, but that definitely shouldn’t rule them out as the favorite to win a NBA title this season considering they still hold the best record in the NBA.
And what else has contributed to Golden State’s success? Well as a team they still stand as one of the leaders in points in the paint thanks to Kerr’s motion offense, which utilizes complex ball movement and a number of different cutting lanes that frees up easy looks inside. The Warriors may not have a dominant inside presence that can put up points in the paint every single night, but they make it work by sharing the ball and shifting the defense.
Offense wins games. Defense wins championships. – Ancient Chinese Proverb
Speaking of defense, the Warriors also remain one of the top defenses in the league (97.4 defensive rating, 42.5 opponent field goal percentage), a fact that is constantly left out of the “jump shooting team” narrative that Golden State has fallen victim to.
Their two best players are always regarded as just being jump shooters, but they’ve quietly grown to be two above average defenders this season: Curry currently leads the NBA in steals thanks to how well he’s been playing the passing lanes, and both Curry and Thompson have consistently been among the leaders in defensive rating.
The Splash Brothers have continually performed at an elite level on both ends to keep Golden State at the top seed, and they are only getting better. This is but another chapter on how the NBA has moved on from the days of unstoppable tanks to the new era of long-range snipers, and both Curry and Thompson are leading the way in that department. They don’t need sky hooks or backdown slams to win a ring.
Together, they are proving that a jump shooting team like the Warriors can indeed compete at the highest level in the NBA and contest for a championship…
With a flick of the wrist.