5 Takeaways from Golden State Warriors' Early Showing vs. San Antonio Spurs
The first two games of the Golden State Warriors' series with the San Antonio Spurs could not have been more different—except for the results.
In one, the Warriors wiggled out of a 25-point, second-quarter hole. In the other, they built their own 20-point cushion within the first 14 minutes. Both times they left with a win, stretching their playoff record to a still-perfect 10-0.
That's the primary story here, but several critical subplots are making it so. Like Golden State showcasing the type of superiority that has already yielded a string of unprecedented accomplishments, for instance. Or San Antonio perhaps not being the same team without the consensus best two-way player in the business.
As divergent as the Western Conference Finals' first 96 minutes were, they all helped spotlight these five important takeaways.
Dubs Are Dialed-In
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Yes, the Warriors needed a Houdini-caliber escape to survive Game 1, but they essentially stuck two uninspiring quarters in the middle of an awe-inspiring run.
They're only the fifth team in NBA history to open a postseason 10-0, with twice as many victories decided by 20-plus points (four) than single digits (two). Their plus-17 playoff point differential betters the Cleveland Cavaliers' seven points and everyone else's by more than a baker's dozen. They have won each of their last six quarters, the four meaningful ones all by double digits.
Nitpicking their success by focusing on other club's injuries—as if the Dubs don't have a stand-in coach right now and their own medical maladies to deal with—doesn't lessen their dominance. They have 25 victories to show for their last 26 trips to the hardwood.
"We feel like we like our chances against anybody, no matter what is on the court," Kevin Durant said, per NBA.com's Sekou Smith. "That's the confidence we have."
Golden State's 136-100 Game 2 thrashing of San Antonio was basketball brilliance. There were 39 assists on 50 field goals, seven different double-digit performances (plus points from every active player) and 18 made triples at a 48.6 percent clip. Of the Spurs' four players to attempt 10-plus shots, three converted fewer than 37 percent from the field.
It was yet another reminder that the Warriors' top gear goes unmatched in this league. That doesn't guarantee they'll sprint to the finish line, but good luck if they do.
Health Remains Biggest Hurdle
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The common health-related narrative around the Warriors' playoff run has centered on the players their opponents have lost—Jusuf Nurkic in the first round, George Hill in the second and now Kawhi Leonard and Tony Parker.
But Golden State has needed to navigate its own injury issues, including Kevin Durant's two-game absence in the opening round. Head coach Steve Kerr has missed the last eight contests with ongoing complications from 2015 back surgery and remains without a timetable for his return, per ESPN's Ramona Shelburne.
Andre Iguodala was limited to 10 minutes in Game 1 of this series and held out of Game 2 by knee soreness that necessitated an MRI. Villain du jour Zaza Pachulia will have his own MRI after a heel contusion forced him off the floor just seven minutes into Tuesday's blowout.
Even if their non-Durant health issues don't draw a ton of coverage, the Warriors know their superpowers aren't immune to injury. In fact, they can and should view them as their biggest threat—all due respect to historically prolific heavyweight LeBron James and the defending champs.
Go back and watch the 36-point dismantling of San Antonio or the road victories by a combined 51 points that closed out the first two rounds. Then, ask yourself if it really matters who is or isn't standing at the other end of the court. Health isn't near enough to stop this team if it's at (or near) full strength.
"The Warriors played at a level that almost no team would have been able to match...," NBCS Bay Area's Ray Ratto wrote after Game 2. "Golden State made all the points upon which you may rely for the remainder of this series. They defended too well. They pushed the pace too well. They created open looks and converted them too well."
Klay's Slump Is Concerning
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Streakiness comes with the position of shooting specialist, and Klay Thompson is no different in that respect than his fellow gunslingers. Two games before his 60-point eruption, he scored 15 points on 20 shots. Two games after, he managed 10 on 13.
It's never easy, then, to pinpoint when a dry spell for the splash sibling should warrant any worry. The Warriors, who've had firsthand views of his 139 postseason shots, haven't reached that point.
"The shooting is going to come," acting head coach Mike Brown said, per Bay Area News Group's Anthony Slater. "We're not worried about that."
But if there's ever been a time to be concerned, this looks like the one. Maybe the lack of other glaring issues amplifies it—and Thompson has been straitjacketing his defensive assignment—but his shots have clanged enough to at least mimic alarm bells.
His field-goal percentage is down a full eight points from the regular season (38.8 from 46.8), and his three-point rate has fallen five points (36.4 from 41.4). He has twice finished playoff outings with fewer points than he had in any regular-season contest (six each time) and has as many single-digit scoring efforts through 10 postseason games than he had in 78 regular-season affairs (two).
Adding to the anxiety is the fact this follows a pattern. This on pace to be the fourth straight playoffs in which Thompson's field-goal and three-point conversion rates have dropped from the regular season.
He can quiet this conversation quickly with a trademark 30-plus point, five-plus triple fireball impression. But the uneasiness won't evanesce until he strings a few scorching explosions together.
Kawhi Is Kinda Important
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Injuries suck.
You can rant and rave about Pachulia's controversial closeout, compare it with a criminal act or even take your complaint to court. None of that matters. At least, none of it changes the result.
Leonard's ankle, which was initially injured last round, suffered a pair of setbacks Sunday that could send him hobbling into the offseason. Barring an unexpected San Antonio comeback, the ailment will serve as this series' point of demarcation.
There's no telling what would have happened without it, but the change in the before and after snapshots are so dramatic you'd think they were hawking a weight-loss supplement. The Spurs led 78-55 when Leonard exited. The Warriors have outscored them 194-133 since.
San Antonio opened the series gritty, savvy and every other way you'd expect a Gregg Popovich-led squad to look while trying to defy the odds. By Game 2, the same players appeared shellshocked, dispirited and entirely overmatched.
"I don't think they believed," Popovich told reporters after Game 2. "And you have to believe. I don't think as a group they really did, which means probably a little bit feeling sorry for themselves psychologically, subconsciously, whatever psycho-babble word you want to use. ... I don't think they started the game with a belief."
It's not surprising to see the Warriors go steamroller mode. That's what most anticipated entering this series. But we'll never know how things would have transpired had Leonard landed cleanly.
Injuries really suck.
Steph Looks MVP-Ish
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Stephen Curry is back at his MVP-level, cheat code best. Over his last three games—including a closeout game and a standard-setting opener—he's been the walking glitch disrupting two of the league's elite defensive systems.
During this stretch, he's put in 99 points on 54 shots, while hitting 57.4 percent from the field and 48.6 percent outside. He has yanked down at least five rebounds in all three contests, plus dished out seven assists and/or snatched three steals in two.
"He looks again like the Curry who used to torment big men caught against him on the switch," Bay Area News Group's Marcus Thompson II wrote. "He looks again like the deadly shooter who made every three to punctuate a run and explode the arena. He looks like the player that San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich once said was like watching Michael Jordan."
Historically, the Spurs had handled Curry about as well as any mortal can. But this time around, he's bringing the fight to them with a focused, aggressive approach. He's putting defenders on their heels—or their backsides—and attacking before the machine envelops him. He's challenging basic defensive instincts and thus freeing up everyone around him.
Because when Chef Curry is cooking, all of Golden State feasts. To wit, he is a league-high plus-180 this postseason. LeBron is the closest non-Warrior at plus-112.
This is how Golden State moves from unreal to unfair. Either Curry roasts with historic efficiency, the other former MVP and All-Stars on the roster singe the defense or all of the above.
Statistics accurate through Wednesday and used courtesy of NBA.com and Basketball Reference.
Zach Buckley covers the NBA for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter: @ZachBuckleyNBA.
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