Golden State Warriors Must Match Cavaliers’ Urgency
The Golden State Warriors knew winning their first NBA championship in 40 years was not going to be easy, and they were absolutely correct. The Warriors find themselves in a battle that is not for the faint of heart.
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The 2015 NBA Finals has been a battle of will and urgency. A battle that has found the Warriors on the losing end more often than Bay Area fans are accustomed too. Golden State found out early in these playoffs that the physicality and emotional strain of playoff basketball can’t be compared to anything they faced through the 82-game regular season.
The Warriors have learned one crucial fact about post-season play. The team that has the ability to impose their will, and not get flustered by the playoffs’ emotional roller coaster has the advantage.
The Memphis Grizzlies gave Golden State their first real shot in the mouth. The Grizzlies “We prefer to go through you and not around you” mentality seemed to have the Warriors rattled early in the series. After three games of Zach Randolph elbows and the unmovable force of Marc Gasol, the Dubs were looking battered, bruised and physically whooped.
The Warriors were down 2-1 in the series, and facing an off-season of the same old questions: “Can a jump-shooting team win an NBA Title?” “Are the Warriors too “soft” to make a long playoff run?”
The Warriors have never been a highly talkative unit (outside of Draymond Green) and preferred to let their play do the talking. On the road and possibly staring a 3-1 series deficit in the face, Golden States’ play spoke loud and clear. Instead of losing confidence and getting caught up in defending their style of play, they simply reverted back to what got them the best record in the NBA.
The Warriors went back to the brilliant ball movement and tenacious defense that had been their staple all season. The constant ball, and player, movement loosened up the vice-grip that had become the Grizzlies’ defense. The Warriors’ own lockdown defense created turnovers, and it allowed them to excel in the open court.
Once the Warriors cracked the code of how to unlock their game versus the tough and rugged Grizzlies, they blitzed them in three games straight.
The dilemma facing Golden State in the Finals has it similarities and differences. Being down 2-1 on the road and having their toughness questioned is eerily similar to what the Warriors faced in the “Grind House.” Critics were piling on with their harsh criticism of the Warriors lack of physicality and toughness.
The notion is that to stop Stephen Curry, a team must bully the league MVP, that Curry can be slowed down and thrown out of rhythm with aggressive hard-nosed defense. Golden State’s fans have heard these loud and persistent assumptions about Curry all year. It has been the topic of many debates, locally and nationally.
Even after the Warriors dominated the Western Conference, and Curry took home the MVP trophy, doubts were still being echoed in many national and social-media circles. Despite the calls to change their game-plan, or the never ending questions about Steve Kerr‘s ability to make the needed adjustments to overcome adversity, the Warriors have answered the bell at every challenge .
Of Course, the challenge is greater this time. This is the biggest stage with the brightest lights, and the Warriors are facing the ultimate challenge: How to overcome the sheer will and determination of the best player on the planet, LeBron James. The Warriors can’t match LeBrons’ big-game experience, but they sure can match and exceed the Cavs do-or-die approach.
No longer can Warrior players be in an upright position watching, while a Cavaliers’ player is launching themselves towards a loose-ball.
Every Matthew Dellavedova side-tackle must be met with a crushing screen. For every Tristan Thompson hustle play, Green must be there to aggressively seal off any Cavs’ big man who has the audacity to fight him for a rebound.
This is when the Warriors must dig deep and prove their deadly outside shooting can be matched by their even deadlier will to win.