I’ve long been a proponent of giving Harrison Barnes more run at the power forward slot. Golden State badly needs the spacing, since nobody on the team is especially adept at getting to the hoop. So, I was delighted to see Barnes-at-the-4 take off in the Denver series.
After spending almost no time at power forward, Barnes found himself playing the 4 in what was Golden State’s most used lineup against Denver. The results were incredible. Young Harrison responded to the extra space by hitting 40% of his threes and upping his attempts to 5.3 per game. He also did this to Anthony Randolph:
I was curious as to Barnes’ feelings on his breakout series and the new basketball paradigm that served as his launching pad. So I asked the (heavily stitched) rookie about it.
ESS: “You had a break-out series against Denver when you were playing the 4 in the small line-up, four three-point shooters. Do you feel like there’s more space with that lineup?”
Barnes: “First I’m honored you called me a three-point shooter. (Laughs.) Never been called that before. It was fun to kind of play that style. We’d never really done that before this season. Really, I’d never really played that at Carolina. I’ve always been so accustomed to having two bigs, especially fixtures on the block. So just to be able to play that spread out basketball, kind of drive and kick… it was fun to have four people who could handle the ball, just get out on the break, we all had different mis-matches. It was exciting.”
Tim Kawakami: “Can you play the 4 spot for extended periods in the future?”
Barnes: “I’d definitely have to bulk up. I don’t think I could check guys like Zach Randolph, Serge Ibaka. That might be a little different. But for that playoff series, it worked. It was fun to play in David’s spot for a little while. I enjoyed that… But next year it’ll be different. We’ll have a lot of guys who are healthy. I think a lot of people are kind of forgetting the fact that we’ll have David and Brandon, so it’ll give us more depth. I think we have to kind of re-invent ourselves once again next year with healthier bodies.”
Notice how Harrison Barnes, not the most effusive of players, uses the word “fun” three times. The four-out strategy can be fun because it foments ball movement and rhythm shooting. More importantly, surrounding Bogut with shooters can pay some practical dividends. The Warriors took some of what were two-point attempts and converted those to three-pointers, drowning the Nuggets in the process. While I can’t blame GSW for abandoning this strategy against the bigger San Antonio Spurs, I would blame them for avoiding Barnes-at-the-4 in 2014. Harrison isn’t just a small forward. He’s a tweener, which is actually a great development for Golden State.
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].
“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.
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].
Greg Popovich: We made shots and they didn’t have as good a night shooting the ball. Sometimes it’s as simple as that. There’s other factors, you think about turnovers, blah, blah, blah. But we shot it and they didn’t.
Mark Jackson: This is a make-or-miss league. That’s all. If we don’t play our brand of basketball we are not good enough to just win.
Klay Thompson: Collectively, we didn’t shoot as good as we did in the first two games.
The Warriors first three games (respectively) this series in shot chart form:
For a team built primarily around shooting the basketball, can it be as simple as “make-or-miss” in relation to wins/losses with the Warriors?
Over-simplication is often short-sighted, but it holds true in this particular situation.
Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson combined to make 1,134 field goals this regulars season, which accounts for 36% of the team’s shots. The starting backcourt attempted 2,594 field goals out of a team total 6,841 (38% of team’s total shots).
The narrative these playoffs — and especially after Game 2 — was the outrageous shooting numbers (48% FG, 40% 3PT) and the complementary play between Curry and Thompson. If one was off, the other was on. It wasn’t so much that these two players can’t both be off at the same time, it just hadn’t happened yet. That was the worst case scenario, and one everyone thought would never come.
Friday night, we saw what happens when that scenario indeed happens.
Curry and Thompson combined to shoot 12-for-37 (32%) and the team only made six (out of 20 attempts) three pointers. There simply wasn’t that third consistent option out there on the floor.
Jarrett Jack — since David Lee’s injury at least — has tried to be this third option, and for the first half kept the Warriors at bay with four shots in the 2nd quarter before failing miserably in the second half (on both ends of the floor). Harrison Barnes was aggressive going to the basket but couldn’t find his range from outside the paint, Andrew Bogut was 5-for-9 but can’t be counted on for consistent production and Carl Landry was 4-for-4 on shots inside the circle but struggled to get anything going from the outside.
The lone bright spot from was from David Lee himself, who in three minutes looked to be very much the Lee of old on the offensive end. Lee said postgame he’s feeling better than he did in the Denver series, but that bar was set pretty low. Coach Jackson said he didn’t keep Lee in the game because he didn’t like the way Lee was running his last trip down in the 2nd quarter. Lee’s performance in Game 3 was nothing more than a tease, and it doesn’t sound like that will change as the series progresses.
The Warriors simply weren’t getting as many clean looks as they were in the previous two games, and credit the Spurs defense. Danny Green hounded Curry all night, allowing limited open shots and not giving him much room to initiate the offense all night. Thompson was shaded by Kawhi Leonard for a lot of Game 3 and he did a solid job of not giving Thompson enough space to get off clean looks. With that said, Thompson had his chances:
Thompson succeeded in the mid-range but struggled from inside the free throw line, a scary (and troubling) trend.
Murphy’s Law was in full effect Friday night: Warriors were hounded on defense, missing shots, Curry turned his left ankle and the Spurs reminded everyone why they’ve been the class of the NBA for years. The Warriors were outclassed in every facet Game 3. For the first time this postseason they showed their age and inexperience. It was a scary sight for fans, and for the Warriors to have any chance this series they need to muster up the same urgency they’ve played with this entire playoff run.
If there’s anything the Warriors have proved this entire season is their incredible poise and resiliency. Bouncing back from each loss these playoffs with a win, the Warriors are incredibly mature for their age. This youth showed in Game 3, but it’d be foolish to assume a repeat performance is all but certain come Game 4.
The focus must start on the defensive end, as numerous players stated after Game 3. Throwing different looks at Tony Parker (Bazemore?) in Game 4 or simply putting hands up on jump shots will pay dividends, but consistent effort and focus will prove to be the Warriors biggest improvement from their loss Friday night.
Will the Warriors shoot a measly 39% from the field in Game 4? Will Curry and Thompson combine to shoot 32% again? Will the team shoot 32% from deep while only making six treys? Will Parker score 32 points (25 in the first half) again?
All signs point to nay, but on even shorter rest (12:30 PST) and with Curry hobbling, the signs aren’t as clear as they once were.
Another week of playoff action, another episode of the podcast! As the Spurs-Warriors series in full swing, we bring you three guests to get everyone ready for Game 3 and beyond.
In our first segment we welcome WarriorsWorld’s own Jesse Taylor as he discusses everything Jarrett Jack from Game’s 1 and 2. Jesse is doung a game-by-game analysis of Jack during the Spurs series.
We then welcome in former Warriors center and fan favorite Adonal Foyle as he talks the SA-GSW series, Stephen Curry, how the 2007 team compares to the 2013 team, the state of the center position in the NBA and more.
Lastly we welcome lifelong Warriors fan and rapper Mistah FAB to the show talking the atmopshere at Oracle Arena, the development of this current Warriors team, his officiating in the WarriorsWorld tournament and whether he’s changed his mind on the Monta Ellis-Andrew Bogut deal.
As always, you can listen to the podcast, subscribe and rate us on iTunes here.
From Klay Thompson’s one-on-one with WarriorsWorld’s Jesse Taylor last month:
When did you notice the difference in your defense and realize that you were able to stop some really good players?
I’ve always thought I could play defense, going back to high school and then college. I think my shooting and scoring always outshined it.
As for the NBA, it was probably midseason this year when I thought, “Oh, I can actually guard some of these guys.” That’s when the confidence really came.
Was there a certain player or a certain game where it really hit you?
Yeah, I’d say when we played the Spurs at home and wore those T-shirts. Remember that game?
Yep. Who can forget the yellow jerseys?
Tony Parker came into that game really hot, averaging like 24 and 10, and shooting high 50s from the field. (note: Parker was averaging 29.3 points on 57% shooting in his previous six games and 9.1 assists in his previous seven games)
I thought I did a great job against him in that game on national TV. I thought people finally noticed then that I could be a versatile player, not just an offensive guy.
Klay Thompson’s game is far from a finished product, but in his second season as the Warriors starting shooting guard he’s proved to be an invaluable piece to the Warriors ever-changing puzzle. Thompson was third in the NBA this season in three pointers made with 211 — behind only Stephen Curry’s NBA record (272) and Ryan Anderson (213) — and is often in the discussion for best shooter not named Curry in the league.
His decision making on the offensive end, layups and turnovers gets the criticism, and deservedly so. But Thompson has proven throughout his early career — especially this season — that his defense is what matters most to this team’s success. He’s much more than a shooter. He knows he’s gotten better in this area and he knows his team needs his presence on the defensive end to compete to the best of their ability.
What happened at the end of Game 1 was a series of unfortunate events, many of which could’ve been avoided.
Thompson picked up two fouls in the first quarter, limiting his aggressiveness on the defensive end the rest of the night. Facing the likes of Tony Parker, Thompson would need all the fouls he could get against Parker’s aggressive style of play. Thompson is starting to understand certain player’s moves and tendencies, as he explained in his previous interview on this site. Foul count is important in any game, but in a road playoff game against San Antonio Spurs in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals, there’s no greater importance.
Thompson is the LeBron James of this team on the defensive end, for lack of a better term. He’s constantly thrown on the opposing team’s best perimeter player with the hopes of shutting him down or limiting him any way possible. This idea of “position-less” players on either end can be attributed to the flowing landscape of the league. A league where position titles (PG, SG, SF, etc) are becoming less and less important, the need for intangibles, size and smarts have proven much more important. Like the tired “Is Curry a PG or SG?” argument, the discussion is moot. Play your role, not your position.
Thompson is playing his role, and without him on the floor the Warriors were lost, confused and outmatched the final four minutes of Game 1. Thompson picked up his fifth foul with 8:02 left in the game when he gave Kawhi Leonard a slight hand check in the back on a rebound attempt. His sixth foul — and the beginning of the Spurs 18-2 run — came with 3:57 left when Parker drove to the paint and into Thompson, falling to the ground under the basket and drawing the foul. Both of these questionable calls that could’ve gone either way, but the Warriors haven’t built enough report with the league yet and being as the game was in Texas, the call wasn’t going their way.
Parker had 12 points on 4-of-15 shooting in 33 minutes when Thompson fouled out. He finished with 28 points on 11-of-26 shooting (6-6 FT), eight rebounds and eight assists
Thompson was key in the Denver series as he was matched up with Ty Lawson and will be of greater importance as the San Antonio series progresses. Thompson will shade Tony Parker throughout, and as the Spurs grow increasingly older by the day the need to keep the frenchman in check will prove vital. Sharp cuts, positioning and ball movement will all be there from the Spurs, and while Thompson can’t play every second of this series (at least I don’t think he can), he will effect in one way or another how the team performs in all these given situations.
Whether he’s playing on-ball or off-ball, Thompson’s physical gifts and work ethic is what has propelled him to this status as defensive stopper. He has the lateral quickness to keep up with most guards and physical stature to check most forwards. He’s worked tremendously hard both on the court and off with help from coaches and players and equally as important, has learned to understand defenses, schemes and tendencies. This evolution was visible earlier this season, but as the postseason is upon us and possessions become increasingly important, his presence on the defensive end of the floor has become beyond pivotal.
The Warriors loss isn’t all on Thompson’s absence in the last 3:57: Jarrett Jack had defensive lapses and the offense became sluggish. Still, do the Warriors win this game if Thompson plays the entire last stanza? I believe so. Thompson acknowledges he was maybe too aggressive in his defense of Parker, but it’s hard to argue that being aggressive is ever a bad thing. Smart aggression is beautiful, reaching into the lane while a defender is dumb aggression. That isn’t Thompson, and while others may look at his dumbfounded looks on the court or lack of personality as signs of this, they couldn’t be further from the truth.
Points get the highlights, and Thompson’s offensive output is still important to this team. With that said, this team can still win games with bad offensive games from the second year guard (See: Game’s 3-6 against Denver). It might take another Curry 3Q barrage or collection of Jarrett Jack midrange shots, but this team can win games with a bad shooting night from Thompson. Conversely, the Warriors can’t win without him playing his quality of defense for the majority of the game. He’ll naturally become more aware of his fouls because of what happened Game 1, so unless the officiating crew consists of three Bennie Adams, Thompson will out there. His importance on that end of the floor can’t be overstated, and it’s time all become aware that his defense is a far more important asset to the Warriors than his shooting is.
“It was killing me to watch from the sidelines,” Thompson said. “I’ve got to be smarter than that. I play aggressive, but maybe limit to three or four fouls a night, just for the sake of our team because I need to be out there.”
Our biggest show of the year comes at the most important time of the season for our Golden State Warriors. Fresh off their incredible series victory at Oracle in Game 6, we talk everything Warriors with a multitude of guests. We hope you enjoy.
In our first segment we welcome Ethan Sherwood Strauss of WarriorsWorld and ESPN.com. We talk David Lee’s surprising comeback, the Warriors 4-out lineup and how effective it was against the Denver defense, Joe Lacob’s epic turnaround and more.
We next welcome ESPN.com’s NBA writer Chris Palmer to talk Stephen Curry’s swagger, Mark Jackson’s coaching job, Andrew Bogut’s importance these playoffs and much more.
Next up is Bay Area News Group’s Marcus Thompson talking the future of Jarrett Jack coming back, whether David Lee will play minutes next series and the scene at Oracle Arena.
Finally, we welcome Ed Maisonet of SLAM Magazine to the podcast as he talks his affinity for Stephen Curry and where he ranks in the NBA’s pantheon of players, why he was rooting for the Nuggets on press row and how Oracle Arena compares to Chesapeake Energy Arena.
As always, you can listen to the podcast, subscribe and rate us on iTunes here.
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