Don't Look Now, But Steve Kerr's Defensive Wishes Are Coming True
Coming into the season, Steve Kerr said that in order to be successful Golden State would have to finish as a top 10 defense. Well, we’re just about halfway through the season and that dream is becoming a reality. Right now, even after that atrocious game against the Lakers on Sunday night, Golden State has the number 5 defensive rating in the league.
Honestly, relying on several rookies and generally unproven defensive players to be a top defense without one of the best two-way players in NBA history in Klay Thompson seemed like a bit of a stretch, but, alas, the defense has lived up to the task and is keeping Golden State in playoff contention. So, how have they done it? Let’s take a closer look.
One huge component of the Warriors great defense this year is Andrew Wiggins. When the Warriors traded for Wiggins, their goal for the former number-one overall pick was to relieve some of his scoring pressure and turn him into a top-notch defender. Mission accomplished. Wiggins has been great this season. He is averaging career-highs in field goal percentage and ranks among the top defenders in defended field goal percentage at 40.7 percent. He ranks near the top of the league in shots contested, is blocking the most shots of his career, and, alongside another fantastic defender in Kelly Oubre Jr., usually begins the night guarding the opponents’ top player. His impact for the Warriors can’t be overstated.
As we said earlier, Kelly Oubre Jr. has been lights out defensively for the Dubs this season. It seems like all the commentators can talk about during every national broadcast is the awful shooting slump that he experienced in the beginning of the season, but Kelly’s defense was stellar in the midst of the slump and is stellar now. Oubre Jr. is a next-level athlete who takes defense personally, and it shows. He frequently picks opponents up full court, is averaging 1.1 steals per game, is second on the team in rebounding and has blocked 27 shots this season. He can switch onto any position and guard effectively, much like Andre Iguodala. In fact, I don’t think it’s too much of a stretch to say that Oubre Jr. is currently looking almost like a clone of Iguodala, except with a consistent 3 point stroke.
How could we go on without highlighting the absolutely phenomenal defensive play from Draymond Green this season? Alongside leading the league in assists last month, Draymond has solidified his place among the league’s best defenders with how he has played lately. While Oubre and Wiggins’ defensive stats are technically “better” than Draymond’s, there is no doubt that Draymond runs the Warriors’ defensive unit and is the unquestioned leader.
And, last but not least, Stephen Curry deserves a big ole honorable mention for his defense. Curry’s defense has been solid throughout his career, but it’s also been a little bit of an achilles heel at times. In years past, Curry has had a bit of a problem with fouling and giving up backdoor cuts, but, this year, according to Draymond, “He don’t reach as much… He’s not doing that anymore… He used to fall asleep and give up a backdoor layup almost once [or twice] a game… Now he’s not giving up that stuff.”
The Warriors were publicly in search of an identity when the season began, and it seems like they’ve found it. Their defense, not their past offensive fireworks, is what will keep them in the hunt this season and what will make them a huge threat come playoff time.