Ezeli’s SoCal focus: defense
When the Warriors’ offense is working, it’s like a flowing river. Flow and rhythm are the two words most often used by interim coach Luke Walton when talking about the offense.
But the offense starts with defense, and that’s where Festus Ezeli comes in. If there’s a spotlight on any Warrior during the team’s three-game trip to Southern California starting Saturday, it’s on the backup center.
“When we are active and aggressive on defense,” Walton said after Friday’s practice, “it just gets us into a flow and a rhythm of playing. We don’t have to come down and call plays, we kind of just flow and set drags and everyone’s kind of moving. ... That’s when we’re at our best, but you can’t do that without getting stops.”
Which is Ezeli’s department. So as the Warriors wind up their preseason, the emphasis is on defense and the spotlight shines brightest on Ezeli.
With Andrew Bogut out for at least the first game of the trip with a broken nose suffered in Thursday night’s game against Houston, Ezeli likely will start at center and continue his education/development.
Bogut has a history of injuries, he turns 31 next month, and the Warriors play up-
tempo and distribute minutes, so Ezeli’s backup role is an increasingly important one. He turns 26 during the SoCal trip (although teammates kid the Nigerian native that 26 is his bogus “soccer age”). It’s almost as if Ezeli is being phased into a role as co-center with Bogut, so this trip will be more than just a preseason warm-up for him.
And while Ezeli worked hard on his offensive game during the offseason, defense is what the Warriors need.
“Still, the biggest thing we want from (Ezeli) is to be a monster on the defensive end and control the paint for us,” Walton said.
Ezeli gave a taste of his D against the Rockets on Thursday, blocking five shots. It was the Rockets’ JV squad, but a block is a block.
If Ezeli is eager to show his newly developed offensive moves, he’s smart enough to know what his priority is.
“I never deviate far from my roots, which is defense,” Ezeli said. “So when I go into a game, I try to make my statement on the defensive end. On the offensive end, my job is to screen, get our shooters open ... finish around the basket, roll hard.”
Asked if he gets more satisfaction out of dunk or a block, Ezeli said, “Every time I block a shot, I talk a little smack, so I like blocking shots.”
He added, “We’re trying to make our statement. We have a lot of shooters, scorers, but defense is what got us over the hump last year.” Briefly: Head coach Steve Kerr, recovering from back surgery, will be with the team on the trip, but he won’t run practices. “I don’t think he wants to do that until he’s ready to come back fully,” Walton said, “because it’s just more of a distraction to the players if he’s in and out, running practice one day and not the next day.” ... Guard Klay Thompson will miss Saturday’s game against the Lakers in San Diego to attend the funeral of a relative in the Bahamas. ... Forward Harrison Barnes, recovering from a knee bruise sustained Tuesday, worked out Friday and is expected to play. ... Saturday’s game will be a homecoming for Walton, who grew up in San Diego. His mother and brothers will be at the game, and a certain 60-something seven-footer has requested eight tickets for the game.
“Every time I block a shot, I talk a little smack, so I like blocking shots.”
Festus Ezeli, Warriors center