Defense remains sturdy without Green
Weeks from now, when Warriors fans reflect on Saturday night’s 110-106 win over the Nets at Chase Center, they figure to remember a singular image: Klay Thompson hitting a 3-pointer from the left wing with 12.5 seconds left, nodding emphatically, pointing toward the bench and yelling, “Let’s go!”
But for that moment to happen, Golden State first needed to overcome an off 31⁄2 quarters from Thompson and Stephen Curry by playing stingy defense. The Nets, without Kevin Durant (left knee MCL sprain), James Harden (right hand strain) and Joe Harris (left ankle surgery), finished shooting 39.8% from the field.
This was just the latest proof that the Warriors’ topranked defense is about far more than Draymond Green. Since Thompson returned Jan. 9 from a 21⁄2-year hiatus, Green has logged seven total seconds of playing time. In that span, the Warriors have held four of their 12 opponents under 100 points, posting a 104.4 defensive rating that ranks second in the NBA.
Such solid play on that end of the floor has helped soften the blow of some offensive struggles. In addition to dealing with the worst shooting slump of Curry’s career, the Warriors had to navigate all the growing pains that come with reincorporating Thompson into the rotation.
Lineup combinations were often amiss. Night to night, players weren’t sure when they’d be checking in.
Assistant coach Mike Brown “has done a great job this year with the defense, and we’ve added some guys who are excellent defenders,” said Warriors head coach Steve Kerr, whose team finished a seven-game homestand 6-1. “I just think the continuity that we have with (Kevon Looney), with (Andrew Wiggins) and now adding the new guys, we’re able to withstand the absences of Andre (Iguodala) and Draymond.”
What has made the Warriors’ reliably brilliant defense so noteworthy was that few saw it coming. After posting the league’s fifth-best defense last season, Golden State changed defensive coordinators, drafted two teenagers in Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody, and added three players — Otto Porter Jr., Nemanja Bjelica and Iguodala — on veteran-minimum deals.
Porter and Bjelica were considered floor-spacers who, at best, played middling defense. Though once known as a LeBron James stopper, Iguodala was well past his prime.
All those additions suggested a lack of commitment to improving the defense. Instead, the Warriors appeared to be prioritizing offensive spacing and passing.
But more than halfway through the season, Golden State leads the league in defensive rating by a wide margin. This is a testament to Green’s improved health, several role players’ increased accountability, Wiggins’ continued defensive growth and Gary Payton II’s surprising evolution into a key rotation player.
Thanks to a slew of lifestyle changes, Green, when available, has appeared to be in playoff form. Seldom is he in the wrong place defensively. Once dependent on high stakes, he now seems committed to giving all-out effort each night.
But with Green sidelined the past three weeks by a back issue, his teammates have carried out all they’ve learned from him: the understanding of spacing and angles, the need to not over-help, the insistence to not chase blocks. On an individual basis, many players once considered average defenders have proven sturdy.
Kerr went out of his way Saturday to call Porter “underrated” on that end. Kuminga, whose wavering defensive effort forced him down draft boards last summer, has emerged as a capable matchup on some of league’s top-scoring big men and wings.
Payton hadn’t showcased the full extent of his defensive abilities because he was bouncing between the G League and the NBA. Now, as a regular part of a title contender’s rotation, he looks like one of the league’s best perimeter stoppers.
On Saturday, Thompson went so far as to tout Payton for the All-Defensive team. And just to make sure no one forgot about how dependable Wiggins has been, Thompson added that Wiggins deserves All-NBA consideration for his two-way prowess.
Two nights after he shocked many by being named an AllStar starter, Wiggins paired his 24 points and eight rebounds with two blocks and three steals. For much of the night, he chased the muchsmaller Kyrie Irving, forcing him into difficult shot after difficult shot.
“Every game, my mind-set is to go out there defensively and disturb the other team,” Wiggins said. “I just do what I can to make it hard on them.”
Green would be proud. Though the Warriors still don’t have a timeline on his return, they feel confident that, even in his absence, they’ll play high-level defense.
That’s because Green doesn’t need to be on the floor for his messages to be heard. As Wiggins, Looney, Porter, Payton and others ensure that the Warriors maintain their hold on the NBA’s No. 1 defense, they often ask themselves a question: What would Draymond do?
“We have a lot of big players who have great switch ability and play really hard,” said Thompson, an All-Defensive second-team selection in his last full season (2018-19). “We have a lot of dogs on that side of the ball.”