The Weekly Dish

The All-Star break has come and gone and now the final push begins.

For the week of Monday, Feb. 16 – Sunday, Feb. 22

As the Warriors limped into the All-Star break, albeit on a three-game winning streak, it was clear they were in desperate need of rest. But, with a full eight days off in between games, it remained to be seen how the extended break would impact the team upon its return. After all, that’s the longest the team has been apart since they convened for training camp way back in the beginning of October, so it would come as no surprise if it took the Dubs a few games to shake off the rust. Well, so much for that.

The Warriors returned from the break in impressive fashion, dismantling the defending champion San Antonio Spurs on Friday night. It was by far their most impressive performance against the “older brother” Spurs in quite some time, and at the very least, should give the team a confidence boost should they ever find themselves matched up with San Antonio down the line, say, in a seven-game playoff series. Stephen Curry was fantastic in that matchup, but ironically enough, it was Sunday’s loss in Indiana that served as the better reminder as to why he’s one of the top MVP candidates at the moment. Curry sat out Sunday’s contest with a heel injury, and the Warriors clearly missed the presence of their superstar point guard on both ends of the floor. The Dubs lacked the offensive cohesion they displayed so brilliantly against the Spurs, while Curry’s individual defense – arguably his largest area of growth this season – could have been useful against the pick-and-roll sets the Pacers used ad nauseam to get numerous easy baskets. Granted, Indiana is playing as well as any team in the league right now and they’d be tough to beat on their home floor even with Curry in tow, but nonetheless the Dubs have to feel like they let one slip out of their grasp after being up by 12 at the end of the first quarter.

Often overlooked when discussing the secrets to the Warriors’ success, Andre Iguodala earned his first Spotlight of the year with one of his best stretches of play so far this season. In the two games, the veteran swingman posted averages of 14.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists on 47.4 percent shooting, including 6-of-12 from three-point range. It’s the first time this season in which he’s scored at least 13 points in back-to-back games, and the first time since mid-December in which he’s drained at least six treys in a two-game span, including a season-high four made-threes in Friday’s win over the Spurs. While his season averages won’t jump off the page, they fail to encapsulate his greater importance to the team. In addition to being arguably the Warriors’ best perimeter defender, his ability to facilitate the offense as a point-forward allows Curry to play off the ball in spurts and provides the team with adequate ball-handling and playmaking when Curry sits. Thrust into a bench role with Harrison Barnes’ inclusion in the starting lineup, Iguodala accepted the transition like the professional he is, and has proved to be one of the best “reserves” in the entire league. Among all bench players, he leads the NBA in both plus-minus (+5.8) and net rating (12.5) while playing the second-most minutes (26.9) per game. In fact, the only players in the entire NBA (including starters) with a higher net rating than Iguodala are the five members of the Warriors’ starting lineup. You wouldn’t know it from the headlines, but he’s played a very large role in the Dubs’ success up to this point, and if he’s able to maintain this recent upward trend, that will mean great things for the team moving forward.

Sunday’s defeat in Indianapolis opened up the Warriors current six-game road trip, and unfortunately for the Dubs, it doesn’t get any easier any time soon. The Warriors will play a stretch of five games in seven nights against the Eastern Conference, beginning on Tuesday in Washington D.C. against John Wall and the Wizards. After an off day on Wednesday, the Warriors will play one of the more difficult road back-to-back possibilities in the NBA, facing off against the Cavs and Raptors on consecutive nights. Those are three of the top five teams in the East and the Warriors will have their hands full with each and every one of them. Following their game in Toronto on Friday, they’ll head to Boston to close out the week with a matchup against the Celtics on Sunday. It’s a brutal stretch for sure, but if the Dubs can find a way to scratch out a few wins, it’ll pay off big time next month when the Warriors play 10 games at Oracle Arena in March. Until then, however, it’s time to bundle up and ball.

The Dish has been served.