The Playoffs are upon us folks. The Golden State Warriors will open up their postseason run on the road today against the Denver Nuggets in a series full of intrigue.
Many media members have submitted their prognostications for this particular matchup. However, the Warriors World staff as a whole has not as of yet. Let’s rectify that:
- Ethan Sherwood Strauss: Denver Nuggets in seven games.
- Jordan Ramirez: Golden State Warriors in seven games.
- Jim Del Favero: Golden State Warriors in seven games.
- Rasheed Malek: Golden State Warriors in six games.
- Jesse Taylor: Denver Nuggets in seven games.
- Jack Winter: Denver Nuggets in six games.
- J.M. Poulard: Denver Nuggets in six games.
Glad we got that out of the way.
With Game 1 being the “feeler game”, we won’t be going Inside the Scope today. However, information is the still the standard currency by which we operate around here. Hence, the 411 below should prove quite useful.
Injuries
Kenneth Faried is currently listed as probable and it certainly seems that he will miss the opening game of the series. Benjamin Hochman of the Denver Post reported that Nuggets general manager Masai Ujiri had doubts about the Manimal’s availability for Game 1.
His potential absence robs the Nuggets of their best rebounder. Denver is tied for second in rebounds per game in the NBA this season. The team they are tied with: Golden State.
It’s worth mentioning the Nuggets are the top offensive rebounding team in the league thanks in large part to Faried. The second chance opportunities coupled with his bruising interior player allow the Nuggets to manufacture a league leading 36.6 shots directly at the rim per Hoopdata.
So yeah, his absence is kind of a big deal.
Around the Net
There are several articles out there on the worldwide web analyzing both teams and giving out insights on how they will matchup during the playoffs. With Game 1 tipping off in a few hours, give them a look.
Golden State Warriors links
- Over at Hoopchalk, our very own Jack Winter wrote a terrific playoff capsule on the Dubs. Give it a look.
- In case you missed it, Ethan Sherwood Strauss broke down the matchup between Ty Lawson and Stephen Curry.
- Over at The No Look Pass, I shared some of my thoughts on the Warriors’ season and how they matchup with the Nuggets.
- We touched on this earlier in the week, but Jacob Frankel’s breakdown of the 1-2 pick-and-roll between Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson is a must read. We should probably see it unleashed in Game 1 with Andre Iguodala probably draped over one of the Warriors’ guards.
- Over at Sheridan Hoops, James Park breaks down the series by looking at five key factors.
Denver Nuggets links
- Tammy Treymayne shares her thoughts on the Denver Nuggets over at The No Look Pass.
- An end of season pulse of the Denver Nuggets.
- Jared Dubin provides a thorough breakdown of the Denver Nuggets and what to expect from them over at Hoopchalk.
- ESPN.com ran a 5-on-5 post on the Western Conference playoffs. Everyone on the panel picked the Nuggets to win the series.
- The Warriors won’t be catching anyone by surprise. Roundball Mining Company, the Denver Nuggets ESPN TrueHoop Affiliate blog, produced an in-depth scouting report of the Dubs.
- Kevin Pelton of ESPN.com (Insider) previews the Western Conference playoffs and predicts a winner in the Warriors-Nuggets series.
- A 5-on-5 post over at Roundball Mining Company discussing injuries, key matchups and trends that favor the Nuggets in the series.
Questions or comments? Feel free to leave them in the comments section or you can contact me by email at [email protected].