If the Golden State Warriors Want To Improve, They Must Adopt a Defensive Stance

The Golden State Warriors rarely have difficulty scoring points, regardless of who the opponent is because they have superior offensive talent on the perimeter, but their inability to prevent the opposition from scoring has been their Achilles heel.

The Warriors are one of the highest scoring teams in the NBA, and their offense led by Stephen Curry and Monta Ellis, is capable of keeping them in every game they play, but the Warriors have no concept of defensive methods.

It's painful to speak about Golden State's defensive ineptitude in terms of numbers, but it's necessary to grasp the full scope of the situation, to understand how long the road to recovery is.

The Warriors are third in the NBA in scoring at 107.2 points per game, but amazingly they give up a league leading 111 points per game, which is five points more than the second place Minnesota Timberwolves.

I'm not sure where that ranks among the worst points allowed averages in NBA history, but I'm well aware there is little chance to be consistently successful when you allow an opponent to score 111 points regularly.

There are several reasons the Warriors are defensively challenged and the make-up of the roster, and the lack of a physical presence in the post are two of the most important.

There are no players on the roster who have the mindset of a defensive stopper, and any team which hopes to contend for the postseason must contain at least one player who excels in the defensive arena.

Offense is pretty, but defense is what wins championships, and all of this season's contenders take pride in getting stops. But this is not something which happens overnight, and a strong commitment is needed.

Stephen Curry has shown promise as a defensive force, but the rest of the team has not shown the same instincts or the understanding of defensive principles needed to compete in that area.

Most of that can be attributed to the lack of attention paid to defense by coach Don Nelson, and the false perception he still is worthy as a legitimate NBA coach.

Nelson has never excelled as a defensive coach and his years in the Warriors' organization have left him with an indifferent attitude, which has rendered him ineffective as a leader.

The only player for the Warriors with a defensive resume is Raja Bell and he is currently injured, although he has expressed interest in remaining with the team when he is healthy.

Even if the Warriors are able to attain a player whose fortitude is defense, they must get stronger in the paint because if you can't rebound, you can't play effective defense, and the Warriors are the worst rebounding team in the league.

Brendan Wright and Anthony Randolph have the potential to be defensive forces, but injuries have hampered their development, and left their impact on the team a virtual unknown.

Both are in the 6'9" to 6'10" range, and both have incredibly long wing spans and natural instincts as shot-blockers, but only time will tell if they are in the Warriors' future plans.

It is a common perception the Warriors will make some types of moves in the offseason, but whether those moves will improve the team depend on how far management actually goes.

Most fans felt the franchise cannot move forward unless there is an ownership change, and if that is the case, then the future looks bleak, because there has been no movement on that front.

But if the Warriors continue on their current course, dedication on the defensive end of the floor could equate to significant improvement, and they don't have to search far for a solution.