The Golden State Warriors find themselves, as head coach Steve Kerr put it after their Game 3 loss, in a “moment of truth” now, down 2-1 to the Memphis Grizzlies.
“In a playoff series, you get to know your opponent,” said Kerr yesterday to reporters during a short media availability at the team hotel (they did not practice, although there was optional shootaround at a gym nearby). “It’s like you’ve got to unlock the code. You have to figure out, how are we going to beat this team?”
Here are some adjustments the Warriors can make to unlock that code, based on their 1st half and 2nd half performances from Game 3:
- Bench Unit Needs To Outplay Grizzlies Second Unit On Both Ends
- Double-Teaming Zach Randolph And Collapsing On Marc Gasol
- Stephen Curry’s Return To MVP Form Must Start With Limiting Turnovers
Bench Unit Needs To Outplay Grizzlies Second Unit On Both Ends
Game 3 was initially lost at the beginning of the second quarter. As we reported from halftime recap:
Koufos continued his good play off the bench, connecting with Udrih on an entry pass for a layup after Speights bricked the opening possession on a hook shot that went way over Koufos and off the board too hard, followed by an entry pass by Iguodala to Barnes that was mishandled.
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Speights back-rimmed a catch-and-shoot and Udrih came back the other end with a reverse layup past Shaun Livingston, and Kerr called another timeout with the game slipping away, 27-20, with 10:36 to go in the half.
A stable of writers from Sekou Smith‘s Hangtime Blogs recently unanimously determined that the Warriors have the best bench in the 2015 NBA Playoffs, and that bench unit needs to start playing like it is.
The Speights “brick” was the perfect example of Golden State rushing in an effort to close the gap, although the Warriors bench scoring machine did score six straights points to start the 4th quarter.
“Quick shots without gaining any advantage,” Kerr said when answering a question about the Warriors playing too fast. “I mean the whole point of the game is, you have to find a way to move the defense and create a good shot. (The Grizzlies) do it by throwing it inside. We do it by moving it and playing with pace and rhythm.”
Unfortunately, Speights won’t get an opportunity to make up for his rocky start to Game 3, as he left the game after scoring the six straight in the fourth due to a right calf strain. He is expected to be out at least until next week, probably no earlier than Game 7, should the series extend that far.
Kerr said that David Lee would “probably” see some time with Speights out.
The defense of the bench unit was also sub-par.
There was Beno Udrih‘s easy layup past Shaun Livingston, but at the end of the first quarter, Andre Iguodala overplayed Vince Carter too much and Carter got a floater after going by Iguodala.
And Leandro Barbosa also made a few mental errors, such as this one at the end of the third quarter:
Barbosa couldn’t provide the needed spark off the bench for the foul-troubled Thompson, as he took his eye off a touchdown pass and lost the ball on the Warriors’ baseline, charged into Conley, and committed a blocking foul thirty feet from the hoop — with the Warriors in the penalty, no less — as Beno Udrih dribbled with 33.6 ticks left.
Festus Ezeli was also outplayed by Kosta Koufos, getting blocked at the rim plus Koufos scoring a putback of a missed three-pointer by Jeff Green with the shotclock winding down.
…to be continued…
(Photo: @letsgowarriors Instagram account via NBAE/Getty)
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