{"id":268,"date":"2015-06-12T22:39:30","date_gmt":"2015-06-13T02:39:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sullyonsports.com\/?p=268"},"modified":"2019-06-26T16:52:40","modified_gmt":"2019-06-26T20:52:40","slug":"the-warriors-are-back","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sullyonsports.com\/?p=268","title":{"rendered":"The Warriors Are Back"},"content":{"rendered":"

In the first three games of this year’s NBA Finals, the Warriors looked like they didn’t have the mettle and toughness to win a title and dethrone the king. \u00a0They were getting\u00a0beat by the Cavaliers’ tenacious \"LeBrondefense and being clowned defensively by LeBron James, who was averaging 41 points per game in the series. \u00a0Matthew Dellavedova was causing fits on defense, particularly to MVP Stephen Curry, who shot just 32% (11-34) in those three games; however, with the exception of the fourth quarter of Game 3, he was just 23% (6-26). \u00a0Klay Thompson was also shooting 32% (9-28). \u00a0However, this all changed in last night’s Game 4. \u00a0James scored just 20 points on 7-22 shooting, and while the combination of Curry and Thompson combined for only 31, it was a lineup change by coach Steve Kerr that made the difference. \u00a0He took the floundering Andrew Bogut out of the starting lineup and inserted Andre Iguodala, who had started every game of his career until this year, which saw him come off the bench every night. \u00a0He scored 22 points, grabbed 8 rebounds, and was very possibly the best player on the floor, outplaying King James.<\/p>\n

The change in the Warriors play was not only due to the change in the lineup, however. \u00a0According to Draymond Green, the team was not worried about the 2-1 deficit:<\/p>\n

\n

Draymond Green describes the Warriors’ state of mind heading into Game 4, trailing 2-1. http:\/\/t.co\/8c4C6bcZMj<\/a>pic.twitter.com\/6UbnnFbb3O<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) June 11, 2015<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The team did come out pissed, winning loose balls that they had previously lost and wearing down Cleveland in the process. Another factor in Golden State’s success was their depth. \u00a0They had regularly played nine players in their rotation regularly; the Cavaliers only played seven. \u00a0Their depth became a plus,\u00a0which is a positive for them going into the series’ last three games:<\/p>\n

\n

Warriors kept saying their depth wd b plus. It finally was in this 4th quarter, even on a night their starters took heavier than usual load.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Ethan J. Skolnick (@EthanJSkolnick) June 12, 2015<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The combination of their depth along with their effort and hustle allowed them to pull away in Game 4 and tie the series.<\/p>\n

The scariest part of playing the Warriors for the Cavaliers right now is that Curry and Thompson have not gotten going yet. \u00a0Last night, however, even though they did not have great games, players like Lee, Iguodala, and Shaun Livingston (who was an otherworldly +25 in 25 minutes coming off the bench last night) picked them up. \u00a0Thompson and Curry were +15 and +18, respectively. \u00a0When they came out, however, the team was +3 in 7 minutes without Curry and +6 in 9 minutes without Thompson. Again, the team’s depth is a huge plus for them and a bigger negative for the Cavaliers. Also, of the seven players the Cavs are playing, one of them has been a glaring negative: J.R. Smith. He, in 28 minutes in Game 4, was -27, and he shot just 2-12 from the field. \u00a0However, if he doesn’t have his shot, he can always have his PhunkeeDuck:<\/p>\n