The Warriors' defensive revolution

[HailBlazers]

We love us some offense. So Golden State’s attack dominates analysis of its rise this season.
Is its 3-point-heavy offense the future, or a doomed, hubristic affront to what succeeds in postseasons? To hear talk radio tell it, the Warriors’ playoffs have doubled as a referendum on the wisdom of “jump-shooting teams.”
Their mold-breaking, top-ranked defense gets no such treatment. The defense may be questioned, but it isn’t scrutinized -- not like the offense, anyway. The playoffs haven’t been a referendum on whether the Warriors’ defense should keep switching more screens than the Genius Bar. This revolution marches forward in relative obscurity.

Here’s how they’ve done it:

http://espn.go.com/blog/golden-state-warriors/post/_/id/650/the-warriors-defensive-revolution

To quell James, they must draw on what they’ve learned this season. Should they do that, should they win a championship, they’ll have taught the league a thing or two about defense. And there’s still much to learn, going forward.

Is it all talent, or should the Blazers be taking cues from their schemes?

 

[tester551]

http://espn.go.com/blog/golden-state-warriors/post/_/id/650/the-warriors-defensive-revolution



Is it all talent, or should the Blazers be taking cues from their schemes?

A lot of it is talent. You need enough players that are athletic enough to pull this off. This is one of the reasons I am so high on RHJ. His defensive IQ is massive.

 

[Rastapopoulos]

I certainly like the idea of having a lot of versatile, similarly-sized players. Maybe all the Delon Wright boosters are onto something...

But you can also learn something from this on what kind of team is needed to beat GState. One key factoid: they turned the Memphis series around by having Bogut "assigned" to Tony Allen, so he could essentially ignore him and help on everyone else. This is because Allen can't shoot. So to stand any chance against GState, you can't have a major player who can't punish teams for ignoring him. (So maybe those who question if Wright can shoot well enough have a valid worry...)

 

[handiman]

On a team flight during the Memphis series, Golden State assistant coach and defensive guru Ron Adams suggested Bogut “guard” Tony Allen.
A lumbering, 7-foot rim protector tracking a perimeter player? Down 2-1 in the series, the Warriors decided this was just crazy enough to work.

The move paid off, handsomely. “It turned the series on its head,” Bogut says. Allen couldn’t shoot well enough to stay on the floor, and the Grizzlies couldn’t defend well enough without him.

I thought Tony Allen couldn't stay on the floor because of the hamstring injury?

 

[Rastapopoulos]

A lot of it is talent. You need enough players that are athletic enough to pull this off. This is one of the reasons I am so high on RHJ. His defensive IQ is massive.

But not quite as massive as his ego.

 

[ripcityboy]

But not quite as massive as his ego.

No! Don't sabatoge my love affair with RHJ! I have wanted on the team for most of this year!

 

[PtldPlatypus]

But not quite as massive as his ego.

Ego, confidence, realistic assessment...who's to say which?