Warriors' latest innovation in NBA's small-ball revolution is on defense [View all]

Connor Letourneau, San Francisco Chronicle / June 24, 2022

Instead of relying on 7-footers to patrol the paint and block shots, the Warriors have stayed alert in their assignments, blanketed shooters one-on-one and made the Celtics uncomfortable. Golden State is up 3-2 in these Finals because it has scored 103 points off Boston’s 78 turnovers — the third-most points off turnovers through the first five games of a Finals since 1990.

SNIP

With Draymond Green organizing the back line and helping where needed, the Warriors have been sound in their rotations. Green, Gary Payton II and Andrew Wiggins have excelled at forcing Boston’s Brown and Jayson Tatum to their left — a tactical emphasis that has caused numerous turnovers.

The Warriors’ collective defensive IQ has made it tough for the Celtics to exploit mismatches. Early in the second quarter of Game 5, Brown hunted a screen so Jordan Poole — Golden State’s weakest defender — had to switch onto him. As soon as Brown started to drive toward the rim, Green left Williams in the corner to help Poole. Though Brown got past Poole with ease, he struggled with Green’s defense, missing a layup as he fell to the floor.

This sequence reinforced one of Warriors assistant Mike Brown’s defensive philosophies: A 6-foot-6 forward with his hands straight up often can be just as effective at altering a shot as a 7-foot center. It’s more about timing and awareness than size.

LINK (paywall): https://www.sfchronicle.com/sports/warriors/article/Warriors-latest-innovation-in-NBA-s-17241942.php

Quote (froth link): “The key to our game is defense,” Kerr said. “That’s what it takes to win a Finals game. It’s got to be about the defense.”