The Warriors’ superstars rightfully have their opponents’ attention, but it’s the Dubs' depth that has taken them to the next level.
For the week of Monday, Dec. 19 – Sunday, Dec. 25
Record: 3-0
Another column, another undefeated week.
One of the biggest reasons why Golden State continues to be so successful is because, on any given night, the opposing team doesn’t know where the onslaught is going to come from. The Warriors’ bountiful collection of game-changing superstars, sharpshooters and rim-rattlers leaves their opponent in a constant ‘pick your poison’ scenario, and thus far, there haven’t been many instances in which they’ve picked correctly.
In their three victories over the Pelicans, Knicks and Trail Blazers last week, the Warriors had three different leading scorers, with Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Kevin Durant each doing so once. That shouldn’t necessarily come as a surprise to many given the talent of each of those individuals, but it also overlooks a career-best scoring performance from Ian Clark, multiple double-doubles for Draymond Green, and a seemingly endless stream of highlight-reel finishes from JaVale McGee. While the Warriors’ superstars have their opponents’ attention, it’s their depth that has taken them to the next level.
Speaking of next level, in winning 20 of their last 22 games, Golden State’s continued strong play has bumped their defensive efficiency all the way up to fourth-best in the entire league, allowing only 101.7 points against per 100 possessions; for reference, the league average is 104.6. Factor in their second-ranked offensive efficiency and third-fastest pace, and it becomes increasingly clear why the Dubs remain atop the NBA in terms of overall net rating (+12.4). They’re one of only four teams in the Association to rank in the top 10 in both offensive and defensive efficiency (the Jazz, Clippers and Spurs being the others), and have shown no signs of slowing down anytime soon.
Standout Spotlight: JaVale McGee
When JaVale McGee made the team out of training camp, not even the most optimistic of prognosticators could have seen this coming. In the midst of Zaza Pachulia’s four-game absence due to a wrist injury, McGee stepped up big time for Golden State, providing the Dubs with a dynamic two-way threat who absolutely made the most of his extra opportunity. In his first two starts of the season, McGee scored a combined 26 points in 32 minutes on 12-of-15 (.800) shooting from the field in the Warriors’ wins over the Pelicans and Knicks. Then, after moving back to a bench role with Pachulia’s return to the lineup in Golden State’s blowout victory over Portland on Saturday, McGee collected 11 points and five rebounds in 11 minutes of action, doing so while shooting a perfect 5-of-5 from the floor. Add all that up and you get an average of 12.3 points in 14.3 minutes per game – on 85.0 percent shooting!
Playing alongside the Warriors’ traditional four starters of Curry, Thompson, Durant and Green, that lineup with McGee has outscored their opponents by 43 points in a total of 44 minutes on the season, easily Golden State’s most effective five-man lineup of any group that has played at least 25 minutes together. McGee’s ability to stretch the defense vertically using his supreme length and leaping ability has provided the Warriors’ offense with yet another highly efficient scoring option, both in half-court sets and on the fast break. Steve Kerr recently labeled him as perhaps the fastest big man in the league, and he’s certainly put that speed on display in his rapid ascent up the Warriors’ big man depth chart.
The Week Ahead:
Golden State will finish off its current three-game homestand on Tuesday night against the visiting Utah Jazz, but after that, it’s off to the road once again. The Dubs will depart on a three-game road trip following that matchup with the Jazz that will have them travelling a significant amount of miles in a short amount of time. The road trip tips off with a back-to-back set, with the Warriors taking on the Nets in Brooklyn on Thursday before traveling to Detroit to face the Pistons on Friday. Then, the Dubs will finish off the road trip and their weekly slate on Sunday in a highly anticipated game you might have heard something about over the last several months. Yes, Christmas is almost here, and the NBA’s present to fans around the world is a matchup between the Warriors and Cavaliers on Christmas Day in their first encounter since Game 7 of last year’s thrilling Finals series. That’s four cities, three road games and two top-10 opponents in a span of six days, which means that this holiday season, the Warriors definitely have their work cut out for them.