Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors are entering this year’s postseason with aspirations of adding a fifth
championship trophy to their dynasty. However, they face a tall task in front of them as they navigate through one of the
toughest Western Conference postseasons in recent history. However, Stephen Curry and the Warriors are a battle-tested
group with proven playoff performers.
Bringing in Jimmy Butler at the trade deadline was the tone change the Warriors needed at the halfway point in the
season, and they have looked great with him on the court alongside Stephen Curry and Draymond Green. Green took
things one step further at this year’s All-Star festivities, guaranteeing a Warriors championship thanks to the arrival of their third star.
The Warriors had to fight just to get into the playoffs after losing the fifth seed to the Los Angeles Clippers at the end of the regular season.
Stephen Curry and Butler lifted Golden State passed the Memphis Grizzlies in the first game of the Western Conference
Play-In Tournament, and their reward is a series against the second-seed Houston Rockets, who present their own
challenges. We broke down the three biggest obstacles standing in the Warriors’ way as they try to go on one more deep playoff run.
Amen Thompson’s defense on Stephen Curry
Amen Thompson has blossomed into one of the NBA’s premier athletes and defenders in his sophomore season. He is
almost guaranteed a spot on the All-NBA Defensive teams once they are revealed and will receive votes for Defensive
Player of the Year. However, his defense of Stephen Curry is unique; he plays the Hall of Fame guard better than almost
anyone ever has.
In their most recent matchup back on April 6th, Stephen Curry played 33 minutes in the game, most of it spent being
hounded by Thompson or Dillon Brooks. Curry scored just three points in the game, his lowest outing on the season. He
struggled to get open and shoot his shots with any accuracy, going 1-10 from the field in the game.
Rockets head coach Ime Udoka is expected to employ a similar strategy against the All-Star guard in their first-round
series, handing Amen Thompson the primary defensive responsibility. Thompson’s defensive talent, as well as the Rockets’ desire to take him out of the series, will make things tough as Curry finds a way to contribute outside of his scoring.
Lack of size in the paint
Since acquiring Butler at the trade, Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr has reverted back to using more small ball lineups featuring Green at center. Those lineups allow Stephen Curry and Co. to play quick and thrive in transition, but
they are one of the worst rebounding teams in the playoffs as a result.
That weakness will be exploited by a Rockets team that dominates the glass, especially on the offensive side of the floor.
Both Alperen Sengun and Steven Adams are exceptional at rebounding their teammates’ misses and giving their team
second-chance opportunities. Kerr will need a committed effort to rebounding from his entire team if he wants to pull off
small-ball lineups.
Even if the Warriors are able to get past the Houston Rockets in the first round of the playoffs, they face a size disadvantage
against every other team in the playoff picture. While that hasn’t stopped them in the past, Golden State is banking on the fact that they will be able to get other teams to try to match their smaller lineups instead of keeping a big man on the floor and dominating down low.
A tighter playoff rotation
Most, if not all, NBA coaches shorten their benches when the playoffs start, only bringing in their specialists when the
moment calls for them. However, Kerr might have shortened his bench by one player too many. Jonathan Kuminga hasn’t
touched the court in the Warriors’ last two games, matchups that were arguably the most important of the season.
It remains unclear why Kuminga is on Kerr’s bad side, but the Warriors could desperately use his athleticism against a young, fast Rockets squad. Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler are capable of carrying the Golden State offense for short
bursts, but Kuminga’s scoring would help keep the Warriors afloat when one or both of them sit.
Despite the potential problems they could face on their run, the Warriors are expected to make a push for the NBA Finals.
Experts predict Golden State will handle an inexperienced Rockets team in the first round, setting up a tantalizing matchup with the Los Angeles Lakers if they win their first-round matchup with the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Source: sportskeeda.com
