Are the Golden State Warriors hitting their stride at the perfect time to make a deep run in the playoffs?
From the limited sample size of games this postseason, the Golden State Warriors look like a major threat in the West. They look about as good as anyone in the entire league.
Golden State went past the Denver Nuggets 118-113 on Thursday to go up 3-0 in their first-round series. Needless to say, the Nuggets have, in all probability, lost this series. Thursday's game was hard-fought, as opposed to the first two games: 123-107 in Game 1 and 126-106 in Game 2, both in San Francisco, California.
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The media, at large, is tight-lipped about the Golden State Warriors' contention. Taking cues from the regular season to forecast the postseason is an erroneous argument. A large number of Warriors games in the new year were either without Draymond Green, curry" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-is-sponsored="false">Stephen Curry or both. Before that, Curry was being touted for MVP contention and Draymond Green for Defensive Player of the Year.
They had just as good of a record as the Suns, and with a healthy roster, the narrative could have been much different.
What makes the Golden State Warriors a powerhouse?
While Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and Steph Curry are the torchbearers for the Golden State Warriors, their slogan, "strength in numbers," sums up their championship aspirations. Jordan Poole broke several records, averaging 29.5 points per game, shooting 58.8% from the 3-point line in his first three playoff games.
A terribly overlooked part of the new death lineup is forward Andrew Wiggins. Warriors coach Steve Kerr has often talked about the importance of Wiggins getting rebounds. Wiggins is doing just that, averaging nearly 8 rebounds a game in the playoffs. His only offensive rebound in the game won it for Golden State last night.
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The bench is nothing to be scoffed at, either. Andre Iguodala, Gary Payton II, Otto Porter Jr., bjelica" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-is-sponsored="false">Nemanja Bjelica and Jonathan Kuminga are incredible players in their own right. Kevon Looney started 80 and played in all 82 games in the regular season.
Iguodala, 38, is a lockdown defender who boasts plenty of experience and, more often than not, acts as the floor general in Green's off-minutes. GP2 is a pestering presence, and taking him off the dribble is a tall task. He also knocks down the odd 3-pointer.
Bjelica does his substitute big-man duties diligently, while Porter can provide a solid 10 points and five rebounds off the bench. His fourth-quarter performance pushed Golden State past the Phoenix Suns 116-107 on Christmas. Both bring size to the floor.
At any given moment in a Golden State game, the chances of someone besides Steph, Klay and Poole knocking down a 3-pointer is very high. The defense led by Green in the paint and Thompson on the perimeter was the best in the league in the regular season.
All of this, put together, is a recipe for a deep playoff run, and perhaps even the Western Conference championship.