"If you look at Golden State, everybody eats on that team" - Shaquille O'Neal on why the Warriors are the team to beat in the NBA

Shaquille O'Neal loves the Golden State Warriors' off-ball movement and passing [Photo: Blue Man Hoop]

Shaquille O'Neal, while on the set for NBA on TNT, was monitoring the closely-fought game between the Golden State Warriors and the San Antonio Spurs. On the second night of a back-to-back and without many of their biggest stars, the Warriors pulled off an improbable victory on the road. The Bay Area team pushed their winning streak to seven games and ended up impressing the “Big Diesel.”

Following the game, the NBA on TNT crew analyzed the recently ended game. Shaquille O'Neal summarized what makes the Golden State Warriors one of the biggest title contenders this season.

Here’s what Shaq had to say about the Warriors’ latest impressive display:

“When you look at Golden State, you get these teams that’s trying to match Golden State. They only try to match Golden State in one sense by shooting threes. But if you look at Golden State everybody eats on that team, ball movement. You might have a guy that dribbles one, two, three, but he’s definitely gonna get out the ball.”

Without Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins and Draymond Green, the Warriors rallied from a 17-point deficit to stun the youthful Spurs. Steve Kerr’s charges did it by moving the ball around and getting everyone involved. The Warriors finished with five players in double-figure, with Jordan Poole topping the list with 31.

One of the most distinctive hallmarks this season for the Warriors and from their past championship squads in recent years was their ball-sharing. The team currently sits second in the NBA in assists per game with 27.5. It’s their ingrained mentality to look for the best shot available that has allowed them to be competitive even without their superstars.

Shaquille O'Neal also noted that the Warriors are always in rhythm because they simply share the ball. While matching their three-point shooting is double, it’s how they move without the ball that has been overlooked by many teams.

Stats back up Shaquille O'Neal’s verdict

The Golden State Warriors' numbers confirm Shaquille O'Neal's eye test. [Photo: Oregon Live]

In the past several years, arguably no other team has been religiously looking to create more opportunities for teammates than the Golden State Warriors.

In the last 10 years, the Warriors have ranked 15th, 7th, 1st, 1st, 1st, 1st, 1st, 9th, 1st and currently sit 2nd this season. Only the San Antonio Spurs in the same span have even come close to what Steph Curry and company have made a habit of in the last decade.

Besides consistently finding rhythm through ball-sharing, the Warriors are also developing their youngsters without sacrificing their season. It’s for this reason that Jordan Poole, Moses Moody, Jonathan Kuminga and the returning James Wiseman figure to be important pieces for the team moving forward