FOUR KEY ISSUES GOING INTO GAME 3
Thompson's shot selection, guarding Morant among top priorities for Warriors
When the Golden State Warriors lose games, there's no team in the NBA that elicits more extreme reactions. Critics of the team flex their Twitter fingers, typing the most asinine take they could think of. If it isn't the haters piling on, it's pockets of the fanbase that often dance to the beat of hyperbole and leave their gluteal prints all over the panic button.
When you strip away the hype and overreactions, what remains is this, while the Warriors didn't earn extra credit by winning two games in Memphis, they understood the assignment nonetheless. They stole one on the road and gained homecourt advantage.
Now with the series moving to San Francisco, the Warriors have an opportunity to regain control of this series. For Game 3 tonight, here are some adjustments that the Warriors should be expected to make.
CUT DOWN ON TURNOVERS >> In Game 2, the Warriors committed 18 turnovers and gave up 10 points as a result. This is a by-product of an offense that's predicated on ball and player movement. However, committing 18 turnovers is unacceptable in any offense. The quantity of turnovers was bad, but the quality of them was even worse.
Lazy, telegraphed passes were more of a momentum killer than the turnovers that the Grizzlies forced. Turnovers are hard to avoid with this team, but Golden State can reduce the amount by resisting the urge to overpass.
BETTER EXECUTION ON ATTACK >> Part of the Warriors' 7 of 18 night from 3-point range had more to do with the Grizzlies' defense than just missing open shots. Memphis' defenders were pressing up on the perimeter in Game 2. Their length and willingness to overplay not only forced some of those 18 turnovers, they also ran Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson off the line when they weren't trying to force 3s.
As a result of overplaying the 3, the Grizzlies concede mid-range shots and the paint.
In Game 3, expect Memphis to continue to run Curry and Thompson off the 3-point line. Instead of forcing the issue, the Warriors should continue to go inside or use the midrange until the Grizzlies are forced to adjust.
ABOUT THOMPSON >> While the shot selection of the Warriors as a collective was horrid in Game 2, Klay Thompson was the biggest offender of the night. Shooting 5-of-19 from the field and 2-of-12 from 3 in his 41 minutes, Thompson forced and rushed his shots.
Normally, Thompson scores in rhythm, catchand-shoot situations. During the two games in the series, Thompson, for whatever reason, is attempting to dribble into his shots.
When I think about Thompson's first two games of the series, I wonder if he's forcing the issue because he's trying to search for his own shot while playing alongside Curry and Jordan Poole, or if he's doing so because he's trying so hard to return to and remain “Game 6 Klay.” If it's the former, Thompson should scale back and let those shots come organically in the flow of the offense. If it's the latter, Thompson must remember that he is still in a post-rehab stage and shouldn't force what isn't there yet.
GUARDING AND ATTACKING MORANT >> Ja Morant is an athletic and dynamic guard who can drive downhill and put pressure on the rim.
The Warriors' strategy so far in the series is to make Morant shoot jumpers and concede the 3. The problem is Morant is hitting them, shooting 5-of-12 from distance in Game 2.
With no Gary Payton to make things uncomfortable for Morant, the Warriors might need to diversify their approach on defense. If they decide to play Morant man-to-man, they need to know that in some matchups it's better to focus on guarding the habits of the player instead of guarding the player himself.
The Warriors can use their offense defensively. The Grizzlies shamelessly hunted Poole on defense in the second half of Game 2. The Warriors and their three-guard lineup could and should do the same. With Curry, Thompson, and Poole on the floor, there's nowhere to hide for Morant defensively.
The Warriors should lean into that and make Morant work defensively. With Payton being out, this may be the best option for the Warriors to wear down Morant in the series.