In a game where most of the regulars would rest, the Warriors would have to turn to new faces to continue their current three game winning streak. With the second game of the back-to-back looming, Coach Steve Kerr decided to give Andrew Bogut and David Lee the entire night off before the game even started. The Warriors’ starting backcourt also saw limited playing time and only played in the first half.
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What to Improve On:
Giving the Bench PT:
With another four pre-season games to go, it’ll be nice to see Kerr mix up lineups and allow the bench to see more minutes. James Michael McAdoo played great in the fourth and he may have carved out a roster spot for the regular season with last night’s showing.
Turnovers:
This factor will always be here until the Warriors cut down on their turnovers. In their last contest, the had 24 with four coming from Andre Iguodala and Nemanja Nedovic each. As each day passes, the regular season will quickly approach, and turnovers are a sure way to lose a game.
What Worked:
Klay Thompson:
This guy is absolutely killing it night after night. He quietly dropped 18 points in one half of play. He shot 6-of-10 from the field and sank 3-of-4 three-pointers. In a very efficient game, he also had five assists and four rebounds to help leverage his side of the contract dispute.
Determination:
The team showed determination and the dug down to find the strength to overcome the deficit. The team continued to play together to make plays while the Nuggets slowed quarter after quarter. The effort didn’t go to waste as the team was able to make the miraculous comeback and steal a victory.
What Did Not Work:
The First Three Quarters:
The Warriors didn’t have enough to get past the Nuggets. Every time they made a push, the Nuggets would stop the Warriors momentum and never allowing them to get closer than eight points. That was until the fourth quarter of course.
Stopping Nuggets Bigs:
Without Bogut or Lee, the Warriors interior defense suffered greatly. Wilson Chandler, Kenneth Faried, and Timofey Mozgov would go off and combine for 47 points. Although Ognjen Kuzmic had a great game himself, JaVale McGee and JJ Hickson didn’t even see the court. They would’ve created much more trouble for the Warriors front court with their ability to rebound and finish at the basket.
Difference Maker:
James Michael McAdoo:
McAdoo was another animal in the fourth quarter. In the first three quarters had only had 4 points but he quickly changed his fortune and showed his athleticism to finish with 20 points; 16 points in the fourth alone. McAdoo’s ability to finish at the rim really helps his case to make the roster. Along with Nedovic, McAdoo led this team to a furious comeback victory. Another positive from this showing is his free-throw shooting. He’s had a past of having some free-throw troubles and it looked like he turned a corner shooting 6-of-7.
Play of the Night:
Harrison Barnes came through in the clutch. With 6.8 seconds to go, Barnes hits his second shot of the game to seal the win. It was a long jumper and was quite fitting as Barnes is the hometown kid; he grew up nearby in the city of Ames, Iowa.
Coach’s Grade:
We’re going to go ahead and give Coach Kerr a light evaluation from last night’s game. Kerr had unleashed the bench and allowed the bench mob to play more minutes than usual. Aaron Craft got his first run and showed his solid defense. With Kerr’s decision to give the starters rest, it allowed McAdoo to prove himself.
Defense’s Grade:
The defense was up to par holding the Nuggets to 101 total points. The Nuggets had 34 points in the first alone but the defense slowly woke up as the game progressed. Denver would go on to score less and less each quarter (34, 28, 23, and 16). Without Bogut or Lee, it makes sense that Wilson Chandler, Kenneth Faried, and Timofey Mozgov would go off and combine for 47 points. The guards played great defense on Ty Lawson, forcing him to shoot 1-of-8 from the field. Lawson did have 10 assists, but it’s important that the Warriors forced Lawson to either to drop assists to teammates or score himself, but they never allowed him to do both.