Golden State Warriors Small When Their Best Was Needed
By Wes Ying
The Golden State Warriors, down 2-1 to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference Finals, had to understand the weight of their current predicament — yet still came out and laid an egg.
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The Golden State Warriors, having been down in a 2-1 hole twice last postseason — including the NBA Finals — were not in unfamiliar territory. There was no reason to believe that the Warriors could not regroup from the 133-105 drubbing they received just two nights ago.
Golden State had successfully navigated through adversity both times in last year’s playoffs, coming back to win three straight games and take the series. On top of that, the Warriors were 12-0 following defeats in the regular and postseason.
But things seem different this year. Not only did the Warriors get trounced for a second straight game in Oklahoma City, they were thoroughly outplayed and out-desired by a red hot Thunder team.
Before analyzing the numbers and stats too deeply, it seems safe to say that based on the eye test alone, the Thunder are destroying the Warriors, plain and simple.
Almost every 50-50 ball is going the Thunder’s way — and the way it’s occurring is shameful. There are always at least two or three Thunder players scrapping for the ball, with maybe one Warriors player attempting to secure possession.
On an individual level, what on earth has happened to Draymond Green? The heart and soul of the Warriors has been reduced to ashes in this series. In the last two games alone, Green has a -73 plus/minus rating.
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After all the controversy and drama of the last few days about whether he would be suspended or not, one could make the argument that had he been suspended a game, it would have been a blessing in disguise for the Warriors.
Green has found himself on a myriad of Thunder players and has looked lost and defeated on both offense and defense. He has been beaten by Steven Adams and Enes Kanter trying to clean up defensive rebounds — which has led to multiple opportunities for the Thunder.
If the Warriors are going to continue to play small, Green has to be able to clean up rebounds for his team.
Before Game Four began, Green essentially called out Russell Westbrook for “acting” in response to Westbrook’s comments that Green intentionally kicked Adams. That was about as passionate as Green got, as he showed almost no fight and passion on the court, save for a few defensive possessions early in the second half.
If the Warriors are going to turn this series around, they need the triple double threat and First Team All Defense player he has been all season.
Two time MVP Stephen Curry also shares the blame in the two game debacle in Oklahoma City. He shot just 13-37 overall and a meager 5-21 from deep. Even more troubling, he continues to plague the team with costly turnovers, including six in game four alone.
It’s easy to excuse Curry for his high risk passing when his shot is going in, but it’s crippling when his entire offensive game is subpar.
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These are the moments when your MVP has to shine and raise their game to ridiculous levels. Thus far in this series, Curry has fallen well short of carrying his team to a shot at a repeat title.
If the Warriors are going to climb back into this series, they will have to start on the defensive end. They gave up 72 points in the first half in back to back games, something that hadn’t happened in the NBA since 1987.
To help their defense, the Warriors have to clean up the glass. Giving up second and third chance opportunities are a death wish against a Thunder team that is on fire. The Warriors were -30 in total rebounds combined in the two road games and gave up a whopping 16 offensive rebounds in game four.
Rebounds have been a tipping point in the series, showcasing who really wants to win this series more.
The Warriors will also have to find a solution for the Thunder lineup of Kevin Durant, Westbrook, Serge Ibaka, Andre Roberson and Dion Waiters. In the last two games, that lineup has outscored the Warriors 91-35.
It’s clear that the Warriors cannot simply just key in on Durant and Westbrook, as Ibaka and Waiters have carried the perimeter shooting touch they found in defeating the Spurs into this series.
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Legendary coach John Wooden famously wrote that competitive greatness occurred when you “Perform at your best when your best was required.” Truer words could not be spoken for the Golden State Warriors, as their absolute best will be required to dig themselves out of the 3-1 hole they are in and to continue on their journey to compete for a second straight championship.
