Golden State Warriors Looking For A Four-Game Sweep At Home
The Golden State Warriors beat the Miami Heat and Minnesota Timberwolves to open a four game home stand. Looking at the next two opponents, can the Warriors make it a four game sweep?
After a bit of an up and down start, the Golden State Warriors have completed the first three weeks of their season with an 8-3 record.
They are in a relatively pleasant section of their schedule, as they last played on the road Saturday November 4th in Denver to complete a 3-0 road swing, with previous stops in San Antonio and Los Angeles (Clippers).
Also, their last back-to-back was October 29-30. Even better than that, they don’t have another back-to-back scheduled until November 24-25.
Golden State is in the midst of 10 straight days at home — and after dispatching the Heat on Monday and the Timberwolves on Wednesday — here is what the Warriors face over the next week:
Philadelphia 76ers
After two off days, the Warriors will next lace ’em up against the young Sixers on Saturday.
After suffering through “The Process” for years under former GM Sam Hinkie, it has started to pay dividends as young players like Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons are emerging.
The new Brian Colangelo led regime added a veteran presence in sharp shooter J.J. Redick in an effort to show some progress on the court this season. And so far, Philadelphia has responded.
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The team is off to a solid 5-4 start, which may seem pretty middle of the road, but is actually a significant step forward for a franchise that has not had a winning season since 2004-05.
In terms of how they match up with Warriors, the 76ers are middling in Defensive Rating (seventeenth) and Offensive Rating (nineteenth).
The more important number worth paying attention to is Pace, where the Sixers rank fifth in the NBA.
So, against the Sixers, we should expect to see a fast-paced, an up and down the court game. It’s a style that clearly favors the Warriors, especially given that it will be Philadelphia’s third game on their five game road trip.
The 76ers’ game with Golden State comes after they visit Utah Tuesday and Sacramento Thursday. Which could mean, their legs likely won’t be as fresh.
Which also favors Golden State.
Top Players
Ben Simmons 1.0 Win Shares, 18.0 points, 9.8 rebounds, 35.2 minutes, 21 years old
Robert Covington 0.8 Win Shares, 15.4 points, 5.0 rebounds, 30.8 minutes, 27 years old
Joel Embiid 0.6 Win Shares, 20.5 points, 10.1 rebounds, 27.6 minutes, 23 years old
Jerryd Bayless 0.5 Win Shares, 11.0 points, 42.2 percent 3FG, 31.1 minutes, 29 years old
J.J. Redick 0.4 Win Shares, 15.0 points, 43.5 percent 3FG, 32.4 minutes, 33 years old
Next: Slow Start Highlights Areas Needing Improvement
Orlando Magic
Wrapping up Golden State’s home stand on Monday night will be the Magic. Orlando currently leads the Southeast Division with a record of 6-4.
The Magic currently has the tenth best Defensive Rating in the league, to go along with the seventeenth ranked Offensive Rating.
Like the Sixers, the Magic play at a fast pace (fifth in the league) and showcase a bevy of young players.
They will also arrive in Oakland for on the third game of a road trek, playing Friday in Phoenix and Saturday in Denver.
Popular former Warrior, Marreese Speights, will be making his only appearance in Oracle this year. He is averaging just nine minutes per game.
So, if he gets off the bench pay close attention or you might miss him entirely.
Key Players
Evan Fournier 1.3 Win Shares, 20.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 33.8 minutes, 25 years old
Aaron Gordon 1.2 Win Shares, 19.3 points, 8.3 rebounds, 31.8 minutes, 22 years old
Nikola Vucevic 1.0 Win Shares, 18.5 points, 7.6 rebounds, 30.9 minutes, 27 years old
D.J. Augustin 0.8 Win Shares, 8.3 points, 5.1 assists, 22.5 minutes, 30 years old*
Jonathon Simmons 0.6 Win Shares, 14.7 points, 3.3 rebounds, 25.0 minutes, 28 years old
*Augustin is out with a hamstring injury
Golden State has their work cut out for them, but they have two winnable games in front of them. As long as they stay focused, they should be able to complete the four-game sweep at home.