NBA Playoffs 2016: 3 Keys - How the Golden State Warriors can be competitive again versus OKC
After a record breaking 73 win regular season, the Golden State Warriors, trailing 3-1 to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference Finals, have their backs against the wall and will face elimination in Game 5 at the Oracle Arena.
Given that they had just beaten the 67 win San Antonio Spurs in the Conference Semifinals, everybody anticipated the Thunder to make it tough for the Warriors but nobody expected them to be one win away from the NBA Finals as early as Game 5.
Only 9 teams in NBA history have rallied back from 3-1 down to win the series, the latest being the Houston Rockets when they beat the Los Angeles Clippers in last year’s Western Conference Semis. Can the Golden State Warriors do it? Can they be the 10th in league history to accomplish this feat?
Based on the two year run that these Warriors have had, if there was any side you would pick to overcome a 3-1 series deficit, it should be these guys.
Oklahoma City have blown out the Warriors in back to back games by a combined 52 points. Golden State have more or less competed well against OKC except a few areas where they have failed at miserably.
Here are a few areas that the Warriors need to pay immediate attention to, in order to win Game 5 or maybe the series:
1) Draymond Green needs to be himself
Draymond Green is the heart and soul of this Warriors team. Stephen Curry might be their best player but the vocal leadership of Green has played a huge role in the success that this team has tasted in the last two seasons. However, Green has been missing this series, especially in Games 3 & 4 on the road in Oklahoma City.
The controversy surrounding his kick to Steven Adams’ groin in Game 3 really turned the crowd against him and that incident has uncharacteristically had a negative impact on his game. Curry might be the MVP but Green’s play on both ends of the floor at his size has a big hand behind the Warriors’ championship and 73 wins accomplishment.
Green is among very few players in the league whose stats might not be their biggest asset or contribution to the team. The appropriate way to measure their importance to the team is the NBA’s +/- column however in Green’s case he’s been getting hammered in that column.
He has been mediocre on both ends of the floor and that has adversely affected the efficiency of the Warriors on both ends of the floor. Here’s a stat which points out how bad Green has been especially in Games 3 & 4:
Warriors have been outscored by 73 pts w/Draymond Green on the floor in last 2 gms. He's 2-16 from the floor w/twice as many TO as assists.
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) May 25, 2016
His huge drop in efficiency has made the Warriors’ death line-up among their worst. He has got to show up, be aggressive and be himself on both ends of the floor if Golden State wants to make it to the NBA Finals.
2) More disciplined defence, especially on Andre Roberson
In Game 2, the Warriors decided to start giving Andre Roberson the Tony Allen treatment, effectively always having one and a half man on every other Thunder player. OKC Head Coach Billy Donovan countered that move by asking Roberson to not take the long jumpers but instead drive to the basket.
The move has worked wonders in Games 3 & 4. Here’s a compilation of Roberson’s stats in Games 1 & 2 as compared to Games 3 & 4:
| Andre Roberson’s Performance | Points | Rebounds | Assists | Steals |
| Games 1 & 2 | 12 | 8 | 1 | 1 |
| Games 3 & 4 | 30 | 18 | 4 | 6 |
Roberson has had multiple assists in either game on his drives as the Warriors have unnecessarily over-reacted to his move even when Green is in front of him. Often when an open Roberson receives the ball at the three point line, Green closes out way too far, making it way too easy for Roberson to drive by him to an open basket.
Another way the Thunder has decided to use Roberson has been in the pick and roll, asking him to play a lot like Green does in those situations. Roberson screens high for the ball handler, which is usually Kevin Durant or Russell Westbrook, and then receives the ball as he rolls towards the rim.
With Golden State choosing to double Durant or Westbrook on those screens, Roberson is driving to the rim on 4 on 3 situations and he has been able to make the right decision on all of his chances so far as the playmaker.
There’s no harm in continuing to give Roberson the cold shoulder on defence but Golden State has to be more disciplined in order to be effective with that defensive technique, which they haven’t done in Games 3 & 4.
3) Take care of the ball
Down 2-1 in the series, the Warriors looked to be aggressive at the beginning of Game 4 in order to regain their rhythm as a team. Instead, they ended up taking too many contested shots and turning the ball over way too many times, fueling the Thunder’s fast break opportunities.
The Warriors are already on the back foot when it comes to rebounding in this series, due to the Thunder’s size in the front court. Turning the ball over just gives the explosive Thunder offence more possessions to work with, that also puts unnecessary extra pressure on Golden State’s defence to get a stop.
The team’s two best players in Curry and Green combined for 12 of the team’s 21 turnovers, that tally is too high not just as a team but also as a measuring stick for your two best players. In Game 4 there far too many unforced turnovers on the part of the Warriors, something they need to look and fix immediately. Unexpected passes thrown and carelessly losing the ball were highlights of the Warriors’ sloppy offence.