Golden State Warriors Mailbag: Draymond Green, Grizzlies, Bench
Apr 13, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors guard
Klay Thompson(11) watches his shot go in against Memphis Grizzlies guard
Courtney Lee(5) during the third quarter at Oracle Arena. The Golden State Warriors defeated the Memphis Grizzlies 111-107. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
The Grizzlies currently lead the Portland Trail Blazers 1-0 in their first round playoff matchup. It’s not guaranteed that the Warriors would play the Grizzlies in the second round since it’s still early in the series, but let’s just assume for now that they will.
This would be an entertaining, physical Western Conference semifinal matchup. Both of these teams are two of the strongest teams in the Western Conference, and they have completely opposite styles of play.
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The Warriors play up-tempo, they like to run, they like to get into transition, they play a motion-style offense, and they let their defense lead to easy offense. The Grizzlies pound the ball down low to their reliable bigs, they slow the pace down, they’re physical, and they like to wear their opponents down with their pace and toughness.
The Warriors went 2-1 against the Grizzlies in the regular season. The Grizzlies won the first matchup in Memphis 105-98, but the Warriors won the next two (one in Memphis and one at home) 107-84 and 111-107.
With the exception of the first matchup, the Warriors’ fast-paced style of play seemed to beat out the Grizzlies’ slow style of play. The Warriors were able to build big leads against the Grizzlies in the last two matchups, and despite blowing the lead in the last game, they won both games fairly convincingly.
If the Warriors were to face the Grizzlies in the second round of the playoffs, they’d have to ensure that they dictate the pace of the game, but I’d pick the Warriors to win in six games (possibly seven).
Next: Most Impressive Bench Player So Far in Playoffs