While it’s possible that Mitchell plays tonight since his status has been upgraded from doubtful prior to Wednesday to questionable prior to today, I don’t see a reason to push him into today’s contest ahead of a critical game tomorrow against the Bucks. This is tough for a Cavaliers team that has allowed their opponents to shoot 37.3% from 3-point range, the 25th-worst mark in the league. Instead, the Warriors rely on their excellent perimeter shooting they take the highest frequency of 3-point shots in the league and shoot 38% from beyond the arc. They’re also typically assisted buckets, not drives. The Dubs will get into the paint, but it’s generally due to defensive breakdowns. However, the Warriors have an almost entirely different game plan. One of the Cavaliers’ defensive strong suits is defending the paint - this is something they displayed against a Grizzlies team that makes a living in the paint. The team’s offense is solid, but defense is what carries this team to success. They have the third-best adjusted net rating, which is in large part due to the second-best adjusted defensive rating. ![]() The Cavaliers have been excellent this season and sit in fifth place in the East, just two games behind the Bucks in the loss column for the 2-seed. If Mitchell is unable to go, expect Darius Garland to pick up the slack and see an uptick in his offensive responsibilities. The Cavaliers may again be without star guard Donovan Mitchell (groin), who is listed as questionable for today’s matchup. The Warriors’ extra gear simply means taking minutes away from their younger and less experienced players. If you remove the dead weight from Kerr tinkering with lineups and rotations and excise the minutes played by James Wiseman, Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody, those lineups leap into the 96th percentile of point differential (+10.9) and score a whopping 120.7 points per 100 possessions. The Warriors have been excellent whenever Kerr goes to these smaller and more explosive lineups. Those lineups, have a +6 point differential and score 119.3 points per 100 possessions, which is in the 89th percentile of all lineups, per Cleaning the Glass. We know they have that gear, though, specifically with lineups that include Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, Andrew Wiggins and Poole. We’re at the point in the season where the Warriors need to turn it up a bit to ensure they’re not in the Play-In. They’re just one loss behind the 5-seed Mavericks and just two losses ahead of the 13-seed Lakers. 500 and sit in a four-way tie for the 7-seed in the West.ĭespite the struggles, the West is so closely contested. On the season, the Warriors have struggled a bit. ![]() It’s notable Jordan Poole started yesterday’s game against the Celtics, and Kerr played only three players off the bench. Additionally, head coach Steve Kerr indicated he wants to keep a smaller starting lineup, so we’ll see if Kevon Looney enters the fray without Thompson or if he decides to start Donte DiVincenzo. Klay Thompson is the most likely Golden State player to sit with injury management. ![]() It’s likely the Warriors will rest some players. They took on the Celtics last night in Boston, lost in overtime and had to travel shortly after. This game will represent the Warriors’ second game in as many days.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |