In a game that started off so well for the Warriors, with
Steph Curry and Andrew Bogut getting anything that they wanted to fall, the
Jazz made a 7-0 run to finish out the first quarter. And while Klay Thompson
continued to disappoint from the field all game, going 3-of-20 from the field, he did play reasonably well on the other side of the ball. I have
been a firm believer of Klay’s ability to play excellent defense against the
two-guards as well as small forwards. His versatility on offense is great
when he has his shot working because he can post up those smaller guards while
taking the bigger guys out for three...but that "when" is more of an "if" at this point. In terms of defense, though, here’s one look where he was able to
manage defending the 6’9” Jeremy Evans. Off the pick-and-roll with Gordon Hayward, Thompson follows Evans down into the in the post effectively, first not allowing him to get position deep in the low block. Then, without fouling, Thompson forces Evans to
turn into the help defense and wall that is Andrew Bogut. End result: throwing
up an airball lay-up.
Now is that enough to compensate for his abysmal shooting
performance? Definitely not… especially when you consider how poor he’s shot
over the past two weeks.
In the past 7 games, Klay is 37 for 113 from the field (32.7 percent).
— Elijah Abramson (@ElijahAbramson) February 1, 2014
However, Steph Curry was nailing everything from everywhere
in vintage Curry fashion. 8-of-13 from three and 44 points on an overlooked
mere two turnovers. To say Curry had no help is not much of an underestimation
considering he and Bogut (16 points) combined for two-thirds of the total
points that Golden State scored.
Jordan Crawford, who became a facilitator in Thursday night’s
game against the Clippers is struggling scoring off the bench for the Warriors
as well, sporting a horrendous 2-of-12 from the field in Thursday and Fridays
games. Harrison Barnes similarly could not buy a bucket, finishing 2-of-10 from
the field and continuing his tremendous struggles in the new year. Barnes has
only been in double figures two more times (4) in 2014 than he hasn’t scored a single point (2) and clearly his role as the lead man of the second team has not
worked out how the Warriors had envisioned it would with the Andre Iguodala
pick-up. His jumpshot has flattened out and with defenders sagging off in the
lane when he drives it just is not pretty to watch. Barnes, who looked like an
All-Star in the making during the 2013 playoffs, has backtracked significantly.
The Jazz were never behind (or ahead) enough to bring out
the great Andris Biedrins for a reunion with his former squad; however, he and
Richard Jefferson still did combine to score more (five points) than the player they
cleared space for, Andre Iguodala (four points).
Utah had four players in double figures (Jeremy Evans, Enes
Kanter, Alec Burks, and Diante Garrett) but, like the Warriors, had no support
behind that. While the free throw shooting and rebounding comparisons were even,
the Jazz shot significantly better from the field (48 to 38 percent). Despite that huge margin, the
difference was turnovers where the Warriors won that battle 18-8. Taking care of the ball is a facet of the game where the Warriors struggled up until recently, so if they can all phases of the game together, they will certainly be a formidable team in the West.
Again, Friday night, Andrew Bogut was the only one who was helping Curry offensively
with David Lee sitting out due to injury. Bogut gave the Warriors the lead in the
fourth with 5:30 to-go from which they never looked back. If you squint your eyes tightly enough, you might mistake him for David Lee with Curry in the P&R...and then maybe Curry himself with the teardrop in the lane.
Bogut may cover some weaknesses, but for the Warriors to
beat good teams, there needs to be some consistency from the non-Curry wing players.
Thankfully those good teams don’t start just yet and the Warriors have three
days to work out some kinks in preparation for another game at Oracle against
the lowly Charlotte Bobcats.
Good Article sir, love the gifs it adds a nice dimension to your articles pictures just can't show.
ReplyDeleteI was afraid of the A.I trade from the start not because he's a great addition to an offensive team who desperately needed a strong wing defender, with a back court already established in Curry and Thompson, Iguadala would be moved to the 3 spot rendering Barnes a bench player.
Going from a starter to a bench player is the reason for the big step back in production. They need to trade him while he's still super young and would be a good asset to a team that needs a SF
Thanks a lot, Matt. They definitely took some time to put together since it's my first time working with those but I'm happy with how they turned out and glad you found they added nicely to the discussion.
ReplyDeleteNow, as for the AI trade... I completely agree that it has stunted and perhaps reversed some of Barnes growth. While that is extremely unfortunate for him personally - and Dubs fans, many of whom thought this guy has All Star potential last year - there's no doubt the AI addition helped the team. I talked about it in-depth a couple articles ago actually ("The Iguodala Effect," http://www.basesandbaskets.com/2013/12/the-iguodala-effect.html).
There's no denying AI has tremendously helped this team out with his perimeter defense and general playmaking ability on offense (although it has tailed off a bit of late). From what I've seen, the main reason Barnes has struggled is because the Warriors second unit is the lowest scoring in the league, so when he and the other bench players are on the court, opposing defenses can key in on Barnes. Also, I've never quite been sold on Barnes' flat jumper and it has been ugly this year so far.