Bloggers Roundtable: On To Memphis

With the first two games of the Western Conference Semifinals in the books, some Warriors bloggers give their take on the series thus far.

After splitting the first two games of their second round matchup against the Grizzlies, the Warriors are headed to Memphis for Game 3 on Saturday night. In the meantime, we thought we’d check in with some Warriors bloggers to get their take on the series thus far. Here’s what they had to say:

Adam Lauridsen, Fast Break: After two games, I'm most impressed by what a difference Mike Conley makes for the Grizzlies. Conley made it back sooner than I expected and played at a far higher level than I suspect even his teammates hoped he could manage given his injury. I anticipated that he would help the Grizzlies' offense by stretching the Warriors perimeter defenders and keeping them more honest in potential help situations, but I was unprepared for just how much his return would reinvigorate Memphis' defense. Conley and Allen consistently confounded Curry and Thompson's attempts to get the Warriors rolling in Game 2. The Warriors' ability to break through against Memphis' perimeter defense now becomes the pivotal issue in the series.

Grant Hughes, Bleacher Report: That the Warriors don't walk on water.

They were the best team in the league by a significant margin during the regular season, and nothing has really changed since. But we now know they're not perfect. Game 1 was a pretty accurate representation of the traits that made Golden State successful during the year, but Game 2 was a completely different story.

Call it a hiccup. Call it a predictable energy lull after a major award ceremony. Either way, we saw the Warriors get blitzed and look generally shaken for the first time this year in Game 2. I'm not viewing that loss as a sign of real trouble going forward, but it was a reminder that even the best teams can look pretty bad sometimes.

Andy Liu, Golden State of Mind: The Warriors defense can carry this team to a series win, but the offense can and will get shut down. In Game 1, Golden State got open shots and it subsequently was shut down when Mike Conley made his return, Zach Randolph hauled rear-end, and Tony Allen became ubiquitous. The key is Klay Thompson, who dribbled around Allen in the first game but was visibly bothered in the second, to the point of shooting one-foot treys and airballing.

Jordan Ramirez, WarriorsWorld: The Warriors are in for a fight. After sweeping the New Orleans Pelicans and handling an undermanned Grizzlies squad in Game 1, it looked like the Warriors were well on their way to another short series. Coinciding with the heroic return of Mike Conley – and some extremely sloppy play from Golden State – the Grizzlies handled the Warriors by dictating the pace, being the aggressor on the defensive end and forcing the Warriors into difficult shots. It was the style of play Memphis loves, and the Warriors had no answer in Game 2. Now, heading back to the FedEx Forum for the next two games, they’ll need to not only find their shot again – they were 6-for-26 from deep in Game 2 – but control the pace of the game, score in transition and limit lazy passes and disordered play. There’s no denying the Warriors are the better team, but the Grizzlies can very much win the series if they continue to wreck havoc on the Splash Brothers while also forcing enough turnovers to counteract their normally sluggish pace.

Adam Lauridsen, Fast Break: Tony Allen always makes an impact on defense, but his Game 2 all-around performance was something beyond even his high standards. His defense completely disrupted the Warriors' flow and he was more efficient than usual on offense. The Warriors had hoped that Allen's lack of offensive tools would allow them an advantage on defense, permitting perimeter defenders to collapse when Memphis dumps the ball into the post. They didn't expect Allen to nearly match Klay Thompson's offensive production, as he did in Game 2 thanks to his smothering defense and opportunistic scoring. Much like Draymond Green, Allen serves as a catalyst for the Grizzlies' overall attack.

Andy Liu, Golden State of Mind: Leandro Barbosa has been an offensive injection the Warriors have sorely needed. With Andre Iguodala and Shaun Livingston struglling to make shots, the Warriors need an aggressive slasher and shooter. Barbosa has been both and isn't a defensive liability because of Memphis' slow-paced offense.

Jordan Ramirez, WarriorsWorld: Dare I say, Mike Conley? After having surgery to remove facial fractures around his left eye following an elbow from C.J. McCollum in Game 2 of the opening round, Conley returned to action in Game 2 and didn’t lose a step. Still swollen and now wearing a mask, Conley looked every bit the threat he was during the regular season, hitting open threes, nailing floaters from everywhere imaginable and crowding Steph Curry enough to force him into uncomfortable shots. He didn’t play in Game 1, and the loss was clear with Nick Calathes and Beno Udrih trying to formulate some kind of offense. Conley returned, and suddenly the Grizzlies looked every bit the threat they once were: their offense was fluid, defense was swarming and his return gave the team a newfound confidence and crucial victory at Oracle Arena, which only two teams had done all season. After an extended break, Conley will only be healthier for the remainder of the series, and the Grizzlies are once again the nuisances they were seen as earlier in the season. His presence was missed in Game 1, and after a fantastic performance in Game 2, the Grizzlies officially have their leader back.

Adam Lauridsen, Fast Break: I'm most surprised that Mike Conley can play nearly 28 minutes of highly effective basketball with a broken face. Game 2 was a gutsy performance that changed the dynamic of the series. For the Warriors, Harrison Barnes' physicality has been a pleasant surprise. He's not yet providing the full scoring punch the team could use, but his work on the offensive glass has been excellent and his minutes as a stretch 4 have been good ones. The corner three just needs to start falling again.

Grant Hughes, Bleacher Report: Maybe this is overly simple, but the fact that the Warriors dropped a game at home surprised me most. After losing just twice at home during the year, I don't think it would have been crazy to expect them to win every game they played at Oracle during the postseason. A road loss here or there, sure, but not at home. And not against a Memphis team they'd so handily beaten in Game 1.

Andy Liu, Golden State of Mind: Fouls. It hasn't been abhorrent, but I was not one to believe the playoffs actually change how the referees perceive things. But, it has. They've permitted far more contact and that's the best way to guard Stephen Curry. It favors Memphis, but it doesn't mean Golden State is soft. They are far from it, and will make lineup adjustments to combat that.

Jordan Ramirez, WarriorsWorld: The three-point shot hasn’t been consistent through these first two games for the Warriors. After a 13-for-28 performance in Game 1 from beyond the arc, they were a paltry 6-for-26 in Game 2. It’s no secret the key to slowing down the Warriors is running them off the three-point line and forcing a third or fourth scorer to make plays. Draymond Green got off to a hot start in Game 1 from deep, setting the tone for the Warriors and giving them an early cushion. In Game 2, there was no such success as not only the shots weren’t falling, but also the Warriors for the first time in months look befuddled. Green – mostly due to early foul trouble – failed to get going offensively, Harrison Barnes remained ghostly and Klay Thompson looked like his rookie self. It was a perfect storm for Memphis, and they’ll need more outputs like that if they hope to take control of the series moving forward.

Adam Lauridsen, Fast Break: The Warriors moved Stephen Curry off the ball for stretches in Game 2 in an effort to crack Memphis' defense. It didn't work. Curry is the best player in the series and has shown that he can handle aggressive on the ball pressure without being a liability. For Game 3, I'd set him lose against the Grizzlies with full ball control and see what he can do. The Warriors need to be smarter with their passes -- Game 2 was unnecessarily sloppy -- but they shouldn't let Memphis scare them out of the Curry-initiated ball-movement offense they have used all season.

Grant Hughes, Bleacher Report: From a basic, strategic standpoint, I think the Warriors need to be more aggressive cutting backdoor. We've seen teams sell out to stop dribble hand-offs and deny Curry and Thompson when they come up from the baseline on curl screens, and the Grizzlies gummed up the offensive works by preventing catches on the perimeter. Darting toward the rim is the most basic way to keep Memphis honest.

More broadly, I don't think the Warriors need to change much. They turned the ball over like crazy and missed an uncharacteristic number of open shots in Game 2. Despite those two obvious issues, they avoided a blowout. In a strange way, that's reassuring. If the Warriors stick to what they've done since November, trust the system and move the ball, they'll be fine.

Andy Liu, Golden State of Mind: Play Festus Ezeli a lot more - he's a much better matchup against Memphis' bigs when Draymond Green gets in foul trouble. Also, Steve Kerr might want to go small a tad more when Memphis plays a one-big lineup. Now is not the time to save lineups, just play the best players.

Jordan Ramirez, WarriorsWorld: The Warriors have made it known their desire to move the ball in this newfound offense this season. They’ve been wildly successful because of it, but in Game 2 they lost any semblance of the offense that made them practically unstoppable in the regular season. Too often was the Warriors found playing isolation basketball against the Grizzlies’ gritty wing defenders, which forced them into wayward passes, tough shots and zero pace. The Warriors need to work off their big men more, with Green and Andrew Bogut setting high screens and filtering the offense from more high action. In Game 1, the Grizzlies were stuck in the middle when trying to defend the high screen-and-roll with Curry and Green, opening up driving lanes and finding open shooters. Thompson was off from everywhere in Game 2, and the team getting him into some early rhythm would be huge for his confidence and the series as well.

Adam Lauridsen, Fast Break: I expect terrific performances from both teams in Game 3. It wouldn't surprise me if it ends up being the most competitive game of the series. The Grizzlies stole home court advantage in Game 2 and now get to return to their own raucous arena. They feel like they can derail the Warriors' offense and limit Curry to mere mortal status. The Warriors, on the other hand, have bounced back well all season. They've shown an impressive ability to re-focus and eliminate errors almost immediately. I expect them to take better care of the ball, to shoot better from behind the arc and to push Memphis' defense to its limits.

Grant Hughes, Bleacher Report: I think we'll see the Warriors prove that they can handle adversity. And if you think about it, this is really their first opportunity to do that. Because they walked over so many opponents during the year, the Warriors never came close to fighting for a playoff spot. And it's not like the Pelicans ever really posed a threat.

Now, for the first time, Golden State is playing a game with real stakes. Falling behind 1-2 with Game 4 in Memphis would be terrifying, and you'd have to think the threat of wasting such a remarkable season would pile on the pressure at that point. Winning Game 3 is critical, and the Warriors simply haven't been in any situations this year that could be described that way.

Consider this a bet they'll handle their first taste of real pressure well.

Andy Liu, Golden State of Mind: I think Golden State, in their first true pressure cooker test, comes up aces and soundly beats Memphis at their own game, with Green and Thompson taking control on offense. Stephen Curry was a little hesitant on shots in Game 2. Don't expect that to happen again.

Jordan Ramirez, WarriorsWorld: It’s almost unfathomable the Warriors will shoot as poorly as they did in Game 2 again, and I fully expect them to find their rhythm early in a close Game 3 victory. The FedEx Forum will be insane – maybe more than Oracle Arena was – and it will be key for the Warriors to dictate the pace early, make stops and force the Grizzlies to play from behind. Memphis isn’t a great offensive team – they were 13thin the league in offensive efficiency (103.1) during the regular season -- and putting them in an early hole and forcing them to put up points in bunches only benefits the Warriors, who work best when running off turnovers and missed shots. With numerous days off, both teams will be fresh and ready for a crucial Game 3, which sees the Warriors in a peculiar spot for one of the few times this season.