Defensive focus key to Warriors reestablishing championship identity

Defensive focus key to Warriors reestablishing championship identity originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO – For all the offensive fireworks the Warriors provided over the years between the star power of Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Kevin Durant and many others in their decade as a dynasty, it always was the other side of the ball that led them to counting championship rings on their fingers. Always.

Even at 36 years old, the whole world knows Steph Curry can still score 30 points with ease and explode for 40-point performances – or even more. The Warriors are confident Klay Thompson’s scoring void can be filled by the likes of Andrew Wiggins, Jonathan Kuminga, Brandin Podziemski and others. But in order for them to avoid the play-in tournament, be a playoff team and have a chance to contend, shoring up their defense will be a top priority.

“We’ve got to get back to defending at a high level,” Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy said Thursday at Chase Center. “We’ve got to be in the top five, six, seven in the league in defense at least. That’s really been the recipe here all along.”

The Warriors last season when they won 46 games but finished 10th in the Western Conference and were crushed by the Sacramento Kings in the play-in tournament weren’t one of the top five, six or seven teams in the league when it comes to defensive rating. Not even the top 10. Their 114.5 team defensive rating had them right in the middle of the NBA at 15th overall.

Eight teams in the Western Conference had a better defensive rating than them.

When the Warriors won their most recent championship in 2022, they had a defensive rating of 106.6, which was the best in the West and second overall in the NBA. Only the Boston Celtics, the team the Warriors beat in the NBA Finals, had a better defensive rating at 106.2.

Starting with their first title under coach Steve Kerr in 2015, the Warriors finished first, sixth, second, 11th and 11th again in team defensive rating during their run of five straight trips to the Finals. Those last two seasons they also finished third and first in offensive rating with a…

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Author : NBC Sports BayArea

Publish date : 2024-09-27 02:56:14

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