I wanted to break down exactly how and why San Antonio took over this series, but it’s a duller story than how Golden State briefly came alive at the beginning. Explaining why the Warriors are good is like unveiling a sudden mystery. Exciting! Explaining why the Spurs are good is merely to repeat what’s been said for nearly two decades. Moderately less exciting! The hope is that I can explain some of what’s happening here along with explaining what Golden State needs to do to win future series. I mean next year. This one is all but over.

San Antonio came into this series with a stingy perimeter defense. At the beginning, the combination of Parker guarding Curry and Duncan hanging too far back on high screens, helped Curry spring loose for a massive third quarter. Klay Thompson took over in the next game and dropped bombs on Manu Ginobili’s head.

Great perimeter defense be damned, maybe this just wasn’t San Antonio’s matchup. Maybe the atypical Warriors were just the right team to crack San Antonio because Curry could fire 3s off the dribble and Klay Thompson didn’t need much daylight to sling. Turns out, the Spurs are fine and the Warriors are on the brink of death.

Warriors are Spursish

I was amused to find the Warriors cast into the “young, athletic team overwhelming creaky Spurs” narrative for a minute. Warriors aren’t the Thunder, people. The “young” part was correct, but the “athletic” part wasn’t. Harrison Barnes is the only guy on Golden State who can jump, and he flies less often than John Madden. The Warriors are carried by crafty sets and good execution.

I’m sure San Antonio fans would be loath to admit this, but the Warriors are a bit like Spurs Lite. Both teams shoot 3s splendidly, but lack the athleticism to draw fouls. David Lee plays a bit like current Tim Duncan on offense. Andrew Bogut plays a bit like Tim Duncan on defense. The Spurs have Danny Green. The Warriors have Klay Thompson. The Warriors have Harrison Barnes. The Spurs have Kawhi Leonard. Jarrett Jack is no Manu Ginobili, but he plays a similar role off the bench. Curry and Parker go about their point guard duties differently, but the final production is similar. The Spurs love Hawk angle pick and roll. So do the Warriors.

This brings us back to three-point defense. The Spurs were good at it all year, and the Warriors were bad at it. That’s a major difference between these two teams, and the series is finally starting to reflect this chasm.

Now, Kawhi Leonard tends to guard Klay Thompson, Danny Green tends to guard Steph Curry, and Tony Parker (or whichever little guy replaces him) often “hides” on Harrison Barnes. When Parker isn’t hiding, he’s guarding a guy who only vaguely resembles Steph Curry. With the way Steph is moving, it might as well be Dell Curry out there.

The result is that San Antonio is squeezing Golden State’s 3-point attempts out of the offense. The Warriors are still shooting well when they take these attempts; The attempts just rarely appear. GSW is averaging 3.1 fewer 3-point attempts than they hoisted last series against the Nuggets. Stephen Curry is usually the guy who can create 3s from nothing, but the mix of Danny Green defense and swollen ankle pulp has compromised that quality. Kawhi has erased Klay to the degree where Thompson didn’t even try a 3 on Tuesday night.

Also, the Warriors have shifted to “bigger” lineups than the ones they used against Denver to match against San Antonio’s bigger frontcourt. Versus the Nuggets, the Jack-Curry-Thompson-Barnes-Bogut lineup got the most burn of any combo. In this series, Curry-Thompson-Barnes-Landry-Bogut has seen the most action. As a result, there’s one fewer 3-point shooter on the floor, and also, less space for the shooters who are on the floor.

The Klay Thompson problem

The guys on the TNT set love Klay Thompson and who can blame them? He has a perfect 3-point stroke and a fast developing defensive rep. But the Inside crew doesn’t see Klay every night and they likely aren’t perpetually frustrated by his flaws. With Curry hobbled and shooting horribly, the Warriors could have used Thompson’s presence. The problem is that Thompson is such a limited player on offense.

Most premier three-point shooters are at the very least, efficient scorers. Klay gets around this with an unholy combo of poor handles, blind court vision, and terrible layup skills. Below, I’ve captured the archetypal bad Klay Thompson possession. Somehow, he ignores a wide open Curry, one pass away. After that, he isolates on Kawhi Leonard, a defender on whom he claims no advantage. A slow dribble then trudges Klay towards the hoop where he fires ball-off-backboard as though engaged in a line rebounding drill.

This isn’t meant to be a declaration of Klay’s suckitude. I like Thompson, and believe he has a lot of potential as a “3 and D” roster building block. I’m merely pointing out that these are the obstacles between what many see in Klay Thompson and where he is right now. The decision-making could stand to improve. Also, he could stand to garner more free throws off that shot fake. Over the past four games, Thompson hasn’t attempted a single free throw. Considering that he averaged 43.8 minutes over that span, this is an almost incredible feat. It’s further compounded by how Thompson shot 36% at the rim over those four games. It’s hard to be an efficient player when you rarely get easy buckets or find them for teammates.

San Antonio’s O

San Antonio’s offense has started moving the ball again, creating open three-point shots all over. Curry has been slow to contest and it’s not like he has the length to scare Danny Green on catch-and-shoots. Harrison Barnes has overhelped on occasion, generating openings. The most frustrating, though, is Jarrett Jack’s ability to get screened in whichever precise way the opposing team would prefer. The Spurs are experts at employing drift screens to spring a guy racing towards the corner 3 area. Check out how Jarrett Jack gets stuck on Boris Diaw’s belly in this brilliant Manu Ginobili pass to the corner 3:

To be fair to Jack, he’s been an offensive force these past 2 games. I don’t believe the Warriors should re-sign him, but some other team should. He’s a great guy to have around in a lot of other offenses. It’s just that the gradual ramping up of Curry’s role made Jack an awkward fit. It’s no surprise to see Jarrett killing it now that Curry’s less effective. Jarrett Jack’s job shouldn’t be to find shooters on opposite sides of the court–he lacks the peripheral vision for that. Instead, his job should be running pick and roll and scoring as he pleases. The sputtering Warriors offense currently doesn’t mind his illogical decisions.

Kawhi So Serious is the Best

It should also be noted in this space that Kawhi Leonard’s been the best player of this series. Tony Parker’s been awesome at times, and especially so in Game 5, but Kawhi’s versatility and efficiency have been crucial. At 14.4 points, 9 rebounds, 62.4% True Shooting, and shut down defense on Klay Thompson, Kawhi Leonard is a certifiable Warrior killer. With Tim Duncan struggling, Leonard picked up the slack as his team’s best two-way player over the past few games.

Harrison Barnes

Barnes will never rebound like Kawhi does, but he can become a more versatile scorer. I still wish he would drive more and pull-up less, but the kid is growing and will make mistakes. Even if the Spurs want him shooting, Barnes deserves credit for making them pay in Game 5. Had Stephen Curry been himself, had Andrew Bogut been himself, GSW might have had something on Tuesday night. Perhaps more importantly, they might have something in Barnes in the coming years. If ever Golden State makes the playoffs again, I want Harrison Barnes to be the starting power forward again–even if David Lee is fully healthy.

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Game Info

• Tip Off: 6:30 PM PT
• Television: TNT

San Antonio Spurs Team Profile

• Offensive Efficiency: 105.9 (2^nd in NBA playoffs)
• Defensive Efficiency: 97 (4^th in NBA playoffs)

Scope the Opposition: 48 Minutes of Hell.

Preview: One of the most exciting settings in the postseason is the swing game.

With the series tied at two games apiece, Game 5 comes with a lot of intrigue. The obvious discussion topic is the availability of Stephen Curry.

Although no one doubts he will play tonight, there are some concerns involving the amount of minutes he will see as well as his effectiveness during that timeframe. This is unquestionably one of the most interesting subplots in the series so far but it pales in comparison to another one: the Golden State Warriors have looked like the home team in San Antonio.

Lost in the fact Golden State suffered a huge heartbreaker by losing Game 1 on the road is the notion they outplayed the San Antonio Spurs for roughly 44 minutes.

Game 2 mirrored the first contest in some respects but the Dubs pulled out the head-to-head matchup on the road. In San Antonio, the duo of Klay Thompson and Harrison Barnes played like world-beaters.

Their production as well as the open looks they generated for their teammates made it as such that Golden State’s offensive execution looked crisp and on schedule practically on every possession.

So far in the Western Conference semifinals, the Warriors are scoring 108.4 points per 100 possessions on the road according to NBA.com’s advanced stats tool. This obviously comes with a big caveat: Curry played both games in San Antonio operating with great mobility.

At present time, the Warriors have no such luxury. Jarrett Jack will have to play bigger and better much like he did in Games 2 and 4.

The good news for Warriors fans is that he’s proven he can be counted on occasionally in contests with pressure at its highest.

Also, the use of Harrison Barnes against Tony Parker should alleviate some of the scoring responsibilities that fall on the shoulders of the Warriors’ leading scorer.

Keep in mind, consistently attacking Parker with Barnes (when he switches in the pick-and-roll) will wear down the Frenchman and limit his effectiveness down the stretch.

Provided the Dubs maintain their offensive flow and complement it with Andrew Bogut’s defensive brilliance, Mark Jackson’s group should be in position to steal Game 5 late.

Questions or comments? Feel free to leave them in the comments section or you can contact me by email at [email protected].

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By: Scott Horlbeck

My roommate said something really interesting during Sunday’s game 4 between the Warriors and Spurs. I didn’t think much of it at first because my roommate says a lot of things – most of which would probably get him sued if he were on air. But for some reason, this comment stuck with me. He said:

“If the Spurs want to, they can not let us get the ball inbounds.”

I know, it’s not the best sentence in the world, but just stay with me for a second.

The inbounds play, whether underneath the basket or on the sideline, is one of the few aspects of the basketball that is rarely talked about. It’s almost like a punt in football – a seemingly insignificant play that receives almost zero attention, but possesses the power to change a game.

The comment stuck with me for the rest of the day, and as I gave it more and more thought, I began to realize something – it’s not just the Spurs series, Denver was the same way (game 6 collapse). The Warriors struggle inbounding the ball against pressure.

So naturally, I went back and re-watched every inbounds play from yesterday’s game (I sound like Jaws on NFL Live). Here’s what I found:

Continue Reading…

The Oklahoma City Thunder are staring at a daunting 3-1 deficit in the Western Conference semifinals after losing a tough Game 4 in overtime. Kevin Durant struggled down the stretch, which made it difficult for the Thunder to score.

The absence of Russell Westbrook couldn’t have been more evident in this contest. This was the type of game where his skills were severely needed.

Throughout the final quarter and the extra period of Game 4, Thunder players deferred to Durant and occasionally seemed afraid to shoot. Every single play revolved around getting the ball to Oklahoma City’s leading scorer and when that failed, so did the offense.

Tony Allen stuck to Durant like glue. For some reason, Scott Brooks repeatedly called for Derek Fisher to set a screen for the 6’11’’ forward on the block with the intent of freeing him up.

Allen would have none of it and consequently prevented any Durant catch in this set. OKC adjusted and had Kendrick Perkins — a hellacious screen setter — set picks on the Grizzlies’ primary perimeter defender.

The strategy freed up KD ever so slightly. He got open around the elbow area, but became incredibly crowded once he caught the ball. Mike Conley came crashing down from the perimeter, basically ignoring Reggie Jackson.

In addition, the man defending Perkins jumped out on Durant as well and essentially created a triangular prison (with Allen shading him as he recovered from the screen). From there Durant either had to shoot the mid-range jumper or pass the ball to open teammates that played the roles of reluctant shooters.

Instead, Durant shot the ball and missed. Often.

In the fourth quarter and overtime of Game 4, Durant was 2-of-13 shooting from the field. Part of that falls on his shoulders because of his shot selection. He had a few semi-contested looks he created himself but missed those as well.

Below is his shooting chart from the final period and overtime courtesy of NBA.com/stats:

His coaching staff coupled with his teammates failed him. At no point did the Thunder run an action for another player to create a high percentage shot. Durant was never used in a fashion where he could be the recipient of a pass for an open look from an aggressive teammate.

The team became far too enamored with watching him operate and attempt to beat one of the best defenses in the league by himself.

Last week, Bomani Jones made the statement on the Dan LeBatard show that Oklahoma City will only truly compete for a title the moment Kevin Durant walks into the office of Sam Presti and demands a coaching change.

Although that is a little harsh, there is something to be said on that front. The Grizzlies’ defense is smothering Durant and his coaching staff hasn’t adjusted. When Westbrook was present, he caught a lot of flak for adlibbing whenever the KD option portion of the playbook got bottled up.

But in actuality he gave the offense a different look whenever the team’s leading scorer was being taken out of the game by multiple defenders. With Westbrook out, that release valve is simply no longer available.

No one on the team is secure or talented enough to ignore Durant and create something out of nothing when they can’t effectively get him the ball.

Unless the Thunder figure this out, they will be watching the Western Conference finals at home.

Questions or comments? Feel free to leave them in the comments section or you can contact me by email at [email protected].

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“I knew they had some pieces, I knew they were definitely on the rise. Just coming there, seeing the front office, everyone’s in there every single day. Coaches expressed a lot of confidence in the players. They want to win and they want to win now. I’m glad I’m apart of this.”

- Harrison Barnes during summer league

These are the words of the first Warrior selected during this past draft, the first of three rookies that have contributed to this ongoing phenomenon that is the 2012-2013 campaign. Three rookies with three very different games contributing in three key areas for the newest and shiniest contender the league has. Back on June 28, the Warriors filled their void at small forward, backup center and rebounding all in one night.

The words of Harrison Barnes embodies what has become of the Golden State Warriors since the installation of Joe Lacob as majority owner of the franchise. While the entire statement above seems like standard prose for a rookie coming into the league, the Warriors aren’t like any other team in the league. A franchise so engrained with failure is now reaping the benefits of smart ownership, competent management and motivational coaching. Unthinkable just seasons ago, the Warriors have quickly become a model for other franchises to follow.

Yes, the Golden State Warriors are a franchise others want to become.

Hirings, firings, signings and trades are all part of the picture, but this past draft class is what is most impressive. Any team can overpay for talent and immediately see results, but not every team can draft players that fit a particular system. The Warriors did a fantastic job at misevaluating talent for decades. To see these picks culminate in immediate success is not only uncharacteristic for any team, but especially a Warriors team; a playoff team at that.

Continue Reading…

The Golden State Warriors were victorious in Game 4 at Oracle Arena and tied up their series with the San Antonio Spurs at two games apiece. Harrison Barnes was one of the biggest contributors for Mark Jackson, amassing double figures in points and rebounds.

Barnes was aggressive throughout the contest, but more specifically he relished his opportunities against Tony Parker. The Dubs repeatedly ran pick-and-rolls involving Barnes and whomever the Frenchman was defending.

The Spurs opted to switch on the play, which resulted in Parker defending the former Tar Heel. Barnes posted him up on multiple occasions and overpowered him in some instances for scores.

The Warriors’ forward used the matchup to his advantage, producing 26 points.

San Antonio stayed home on shooters and essentially decided to live with whatever Barnes could produce. For all his length and athleticism, the North Carolina product isn’t quite the beast Carmelo Anthony is on the block though.

Consequently, the Spurs felt comfortable with Parker guarding him. The Spurs’ leading scorer defended with great discipline and never committed any cheap fouls. The end result was Barnes shooting 9-for-26 from the field.

San Antonio will take those shooting figures every single time. It means Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry aren’t getting field goal attempts.

Part of the reason Barnes shot the ball so poorly was his predictability. Every time he goes to the block against Parker, he turns towards the middle of the floor with the help awaiting him and putting a hand in his face.

Have a look at his shooting chart for Game 4 courtesy of NBA.com/stats:

In actuality, this isn’t anything new. Have a look at Barnes shooting chart for the entire Western Conference semifinals against the Spurs:

There are very few shots taken on the baseline.

This is problematic on one very specific front: the Spurs always know what’s coming and can defend it.

Klay Thompson on the other hand loves going to his left shoulder in the post when matched up against a smaller defender. In his case, he freezes the defender with the threat of his jumper and drives to the basket. When he is afforded space by the defense, he simply pulls up for the baseline jumper.

Barnes could surely use this to his advantage. It’s not so much that he must absolutely go baseline, but the threat of doing as such gives him more options and truly puts Parker on an island with little defensive option.

The best guy to emulate on this front is Kobe Bryant. He does a good job of driving baseline a handful of times merely to put the defense on notice he can and will go that route.

And from there he will fake the baseline drop step/spin move and turn towards the middle of the floor in post-up situations. Barnes obviously isn’t as seasoned as Bryant and thus won’t be able to execute this with the same level of sophistication.

However, the goal here is simply forcing the defense into believing Barnes has multiple options at his disposal.

This should provide the rookie a better variety of shots, free him loose for open jumpers as well as earn him trips to the free throw line.

A better Barnes means a better Warriors team.

Questions or comments? Feel free to leave them in the comments section or you can contact me by email at [email protected].

Follow @ShyneIV

WarriorsWorld is providing an unbiased series of posts while watching and reporting on Jarrett Jack, and only Jarrett Jack, on both ends of the floor for the entire Western Conference Semifinals. This installment covers Game 4 in Oakland.

Jarrett Jack Watch: Game #1
Jarrett Jack Watch: Game #2
Jarrett Jack Watch: Game #3

With Jarrett Jack, I feel like the 5-year-old John Lennon having to choose between his parents. Who do you want to be with, John? Your mom or your dad?

What do you think of Jarrett Jack, Jesse? Do you hate him or do you love him? You should hate him because he makes awful late-game turnovers, keeps the ball out of the hands of the Warriors best shooters and can’t play defense. You should love him because he’s a great leader in the locker room and on the court, is fearless, has Giant Coco-de-Mer nuts, is a veteran back-up guard that allows Curry to rest and can hit clutch shots others are afraid to take.

Hate him. Love him. Hate. Love. Jarrett Jack is the right and left hand of Radio Raheem.

But John Lennon shouldn’t have been forced to pick between his parents and I shouldn’t have to pick a side with Jack. I’ll take him for what he is – the good and the bad.

Like most Jack games, this one featured a lot of good, a lot of bad, but you take them both and there you have – a Warriors win. With a severely hobbled Curry, it’s a win the Warriors don’t get without Jack. He contributed to an awful first quarter that saw the Spurs go on a 9-0 run after he checked in. But when Curry needed a rest in the second and Klay’s shot had gone missing, Jack was there to keep the Warriors in the game.

Some were blaming Jack for Klay’s lack of shots in the first half, but he took seven (five with Jack in the game) and missed five of them. How’s that fall on Jack?

Down 8 with four-and-a-half minutes to play, Jack took over, outscoring the Spurs by himself from that point through overtime, 14-7.

It was an ugly game that the Warriors were lucky to win. It seemed fitting that they were led on this day by the roller-coaster ride that is Jarrett Jack. Here’s a quick quarterly breakdown.

First Quarter:

Jack checks in at the 6:19 mark with the score tied 11-11. The next four minutes get ugly. Both teams are sloppy and the Warriors miss a bunch of jumpers, including two from Jack. Down 14-11, Klay misses his fourth straight shot and Lee can’t move enough to play defense and commits his second foul.

Spurs lead 20-11 with 2:06 to go. After a Manu three, it’s 26-19 Spurs at the end of the first.

Second Quarter:

Down 10, Jack dribbles up court and tries to make a pass as if Gary Neal doesn’t exist. But Neal does exist and the ball hits his leg and the Spurs take over the possession.

10:30 left. Spurs lead 31-22. Andris Biedrins checks in. What can only be described as “inspiration from Biedrins,” Jack begins to convert tough shots and play more aggressive defense. But the Warriors remain down, 27-39 with 6:13 left.

The half ends on a Jack roller-coaster. He zigs and zags to hit a layup, then is fouled twice and hits 3-4 FTs, dribbles a lot, passes, gets the ball back, misses a jumper, and lastly, commits a charge to end the half. Warriors trail 37-45.

Third Quarter:

Jack misses most of the third quarter as the Warriors make a run to tie the game. The Warriors are down two when Jack checks in with 1:57 left in the third. Spurs go to hack-a-Bogut. Jack guards Parker to end the quarter and is beaten badly as the Spurs take a 62-60 lead into the fourth.

Fourth Quarter:

Warriors start the fourth with a lineup of Lee, Landry, Jack, Barnes and Klay. After too much dribbling, some bad shots and bad defense, it’s 68-60.

Curry and Bogut check in for Landry and Lee. Jack drives into the lane and finds Curry open in the corner for a three. This cuts the lead to 70-72 with 7:35 left.

Now down 80-72 with under five minutes to play, the Warriors go to the Jack dominated offense. But fear not. Jack heats up, scoring 6 straight Warrior points. Warriors trail 78-82 with 3:27 left. Then, led by Bogut and Jack, the Warriors defense begins to shut down the Spurs.

Down two with under a minute to play, Jack takes a pull-up jumper.

Game tied, last possession of regulation, Mark Jackson isolates Jack for the final 16 seconds. He dribbles out the clock and takes a contested jumper.

Overtime:

Jack and Landry’s overtime play:

The Spurs overtime play:

How do the Warriors feel about the victory?

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The rebounds, the blocks, the rotations, the passes, the passion, the leadership – not even this is the Andrew Bogut the Warriors thought they acquired at last season’s trade deadline.  That’s the scary thing for the rest of the league.

Raw, superficial numbers don’t show it, but – aside from Steph Curry, of course – no player has been more influential to Golden State’s surprising postseason run than its oft-injured center.  Considering Bogut’s history as something close to a “no-stats All-Star” during his healthy days in Milwaukee, that doesn’t surprise.  He’s never been an especially big or efficient scorer even at his best, and his peak per game averages as a rebounder or shot-blocker still won’t jump off the page to a casual fan.

But the overwhelmingly positive nature of Bogut’s on-court impact has never come into question.  Until his first season with Golden State, of course.

The obvious caveat here is Bogut’s health, as Warriors fans well know.  He isn’t free of nagging pain today, even as it’s likely this is the best he’s felt since last summer.  So throughout the regular season as his play improved and the team’s did as a result (sometimes in surprising ways), Bogut deserved our patience.  Trades aren’t lost in a single season and a player’s positive contributions aren’t, either; like anything else in the NBA, sample size and situation matters.

It speaks to Bogut’s nearly unmatched basketball intellect that Golden State fared better during the regular season when he was on the court than on the bench.  The Warriors overall net rating (offensive efficiency minus defensive efficiency) this season was a middling +1.7; with Bogut, that number spiked to a more playoff-worthy +2.8.

So even though Bogut was clearly reduced and recovering, he still made Golden State better throughout the regular season.  Now that the plodding, huffing and grimacing has all but noticeably subsided, he’s taken his game and his team to heights few thought possible.

The postseason per game numbers are impressive: 8 points, 12 rebounds and a pair of assists and blocks in just under 30 minutes a contest.  But when Bogut is at his true best, it takes a more curious and nuanced eye to see the full scope of his impact.  That’s been true since game 1 of the first round, and it certainly was yesterday against San Antonio.

The playoff-long numbers do Bogut’s consistent influence justice better than any words.  Take a look:

With Bogut on the the floor during the postseason, the Warriors are simply dominant, scoring and defending at rates that would have ranked among the league’s season-long top three.  When he’s on the bench? Let’s just say it’s been a far, far different story.  

Game 4 was a perfect microcosm of Bogut’s playoff clout.  Plagued by foul trouble due to seldom-called moving screens, Bogut played just 5 minutes and 41 seconds in the first half.  Not coincidentally, Tim Duncan scored 14 points, grabbed 8 rebounds and led the Spurs to a 45-37 lead at the break.

But Bogut managed to stay on the court from that point on, playing 22 minutes and 7 seconds in the fourth quarter and overtime.  You know the team-wide tale – Golden State evened the score late in regulation and eventually won by 10 points, an 18-point second half/overtime swing.  But Duncan’s numbers? 5 points and 7 rebounds on 2-12 shooting.  These things – Bogut’s playing time and Duncan’s struggles – are related.

And all that is to say nothing of the Aussie’s 18 rebounds.  But that’s the beauty of Bogut’s game – when he’s playing well, his dent on the scoreboard is just as sizable as the one he makes on the box score.  He combines the best attributes of the game’s stat-head favorites and common stars into an impact seen through multiple lenses.  Basically, he’s just a very, very good player.

The odds are against the Warriors advancing to the Western Conference Finals.  Taking two of three games without home court advantage against a seasoned foe like San Antonio is a lot to ask, especially from a playoff-green squad like Golden State.  But go home or move on, Bogut is here to stay as one of basketball’s best two-way centers.  And considering he still hasn’t found his footing as a scorer or free throw shooter, that’s as promising a sign as any for the Warriors future.

*Statistical support for this piece provided by NBA.com.

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