10 statistical nuggets regarding the Warriors' defense in 2016-17 and beyond.
This week, we’re highlighting some of the Warriors’ top defensive plays from the 2016-17 season. With that in mind, here are 10 golden statistical nuggets regarding their performance on the defensive end of the floor:
- Golden State’s 101.1 points allowed per 100 possessions trailed only San Antonio for the best defensive rating in the league and had plenty to do with the Warriors leading the NBA in average point differential (plus-11.6 points per game) during the regular season.
- Their cumulative defensive rating of 102.8 in the playoffs was the best of any team to make it out of the first round.
- The Warriors ranked first in the league in steals (9.6) and blocks (6.8) per game in the regular season.
- Golden State held their opponents to the lowest field goal (.435) and three-point field goal (.324) percentages of any team in the Association.
- The Dubs also ranked among the top three teams in deflections, loose balls recovered, contested two-point shots and contested shots per game.
- Only the Nets and Pelicans corralled more defensive rebounds per game than the Warriors (35.0) during the regular season. Golden State was the top defensive rebounding team in the 2016-17 playoffs.
- Draymond Green was named the NBA Defensive Player of the Year after being the only player in the league to notch 100-plus blocks and 100-plus steals for the second consecutive season. He also ranked among the top five players in the NBA in terms of opponents’ field goal percentage at the rim.
- Green’s 12-rebound, 10-assist, 10-steal and five-block performance against the Grizzlies on February 10th constituted the first triple-double in NBA history that didn’t involve points.
- Green isn’t the only reigning Defensive Player of the Year on Golden State’s 2017-18 roster. Rookie second round pick Jordan Bell was the 2016-17 Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year out of the University of Oregon. He is the school’s career leader in blocks (235), the fifth-most in Pac-12 history.
- Going into 2017-18, Golden State returns 91.4 percent of their rebounds, 90.9 percent of their steals and 92.1 percent of their team blocks from last season.