Okay back to my senses.... GSW + Durant can be beat

[CFAN38]

I will be interested see how the Warriors handle the full season grind with the roster dictating more Small ball with Durant at PF. They will win a ton of games but I can't help but wonder how Durant will physically handle more time in the post. Teams like the spurs(Aldridge/gasol), okc(Adams/kanter), jazz(favors/gobert). May just concede the poor cross matchup and play them big.

[Ogaju]

This GSW team can be beat. It is up to the NBA to solve their gimmicky offense.

Keep in mind the team has had a couple of seasons now to surprise this team with its gimmicky offense, it is now more than enough time for the league to solve this gimmicky offense. It is not real basketball. There is no way that a team that chucks low percentage three point shots from way behind the three point line should win NBA championships, and the truth is there is no reason to panic. They have only won one championship, and even that was because they beat a depleted Cavs team in the final. If the Cavs had been at full strength we would not even be talking about GSW as champions. They know that more than anybody, and that is why they scrambled to get Durant. They knew that a Durant on say a Boston Celtic that they could not beat twice would be too much for them to handle. Going after Durant was defense for them, not offense.

The 'rise' of GSW and their Johnny come lately fame reminds me of the gimmicky read option offense in football that was made famous by Chip Kelly at Oregon. This offense lights up the field but when they faced the big boys of the SEC in NC games the gimmicky offense just could not withstand the smashmouth size of the SEC boys. This approach must be employed against GSW. So here is how you beat this team.

1. Show no fear they are not invincible, and they know this. If they did not they would not have sold out to get Durant. Smash em in the mouth and knock that chip of their shoulders.

2. Follow the tried and tested formula in all of sports, dont allow them to dictate the pace of the game. He who dictates the pace wins the game. LBJ already showed that when you dictate the pace you can beat this team. Dont play small ball with them. Bring your bigs (more on that later). LBJ almost beat them on his own in 2015 and once he had his players back did beat them in 2016.

3. The key to their success when it counts is not Curry and it is not Thompson, that is why it wont be Durant either. All three are weak sauce. The keys to their success are Draymond Green and Andre Iguadala - guess who was MVP in their championship run in 2015, and guess who cost them the championship by getting suspended in a critical game in 2016 (imagine what would have happened if the NBA had the guts to suspend him against OKC for his bush league play). Igodala and Green bring the muscle, have the heart, and play the defense. You have to take those two out of their games. Green's game is based on energy and bullying. How do you deal with a bully? Stand up to him don't be intimidated. The entire league has to make sure the league does not protect this bully. Call him out stand up to him make the league notice his bush league tactics. So to deal with Green you need your own enforcer. Every Rodman deserves a Shawn Kemp, every Kurt Rambis deserves a McHale  take down, and Kobe could not operate until Metta moved over to protect him. When Shaq was with the Lakers no one, and I mean no one messed with Kobe. So you need to get a high energy guy to deal with Green. Boston has that in Jae Crowder, I dont think anyone would want to face him in a bar fight.

4. Neutralize Curry there is no way this small man should be dominating and winning MVPs in a big man's game. Run your offense against him. Make him play defense and make sure he is getting contact. He must feel like he has been through a 15 round boxing match at the end of the game. If he has to do that, trust me he wont be heaving three pointers from half court. On offense make him and Thompson put the ball on the floor and funnel them to your bigs make them pay in the paint. NBA is still a big man's game. Ask them if they missed Bogut in the final or not.

5. Make Durant beat you. If he does, it will be the first time. He lost in the NCAA tourney to a lowly USC team. USC is not even a basketball school, and yet Durant could not will his team to beat them. Play him hard and he becomes a turnover machine. By going to GSW he has demonstrated he lacks the heart of a champion therefore you must make him beat you. He makes very poor decisions when he is under pressure.

6. Play them with your bigs. You dont believe this, ask them if they missed Bogut last year and ask them what the OKC bigs did to them. Slow down the game, and make sure you smash em in the mouth from Green to Curry.

Remember GSW has not done this on the court yet, they beat a depleted Cavs team and lost to them the following year when they were at full strength.

[angryguy77]

This reminiscent of the reasonings the heat were going to fail.

We all know how that turned out

[jpotter33]

GS is going to have a tough time guarding both Aldridge AND Gasol in the post for the Spurs. Zaza will take one of them, but Green simply isn't tall enough to guard either of them effectively.

[Ogaju]

Gasol? Did Spurs get Gasol???

[Ogaju]

This reminiscent of the reasonings the heat were going to fail.

We all know how that turned out

My post said nothing about them failing.... it is just my opinion on how to beat them. If I had to come up with ways to beat them I believe that is a compliment to them, don't you think?

It is either that or I succumb to my initial defeatist post which was 'why have a season at all' lol.

[jpotter33]

Gasol? Did Spurs get Gasol???

Yep.. Pau not Marc. With as bad as Duncan looked in the playoffs, he'll be an upgrade for them. They won't have near the defense they had last year, but they'll definitely be better offensively.

[PhoSita]

What exactly is gimmicky about an offense built around Curry, Klay, Dray, and Durant?

The Warriors will be beatable, if they suffer multiple key injuries and / or suspensions.

[Ogaju]

What exactly is gimmicky about an offense built around Curry, Klay, Dray, and Durant?

The Warriors will be beatable, if they suffer multiple key injuries and / or suspensions.

throwing off balance three point shots or even set three point shots early in the shot clock is a gimmick. It is not how basketball was designed to be played. BB is still a big man's game. Go big Cs, and beat the gimmicky team.

[Ogaju]

Gasol? Did Spurs get Gasol???

Yep.. Pau not Marc. With as bad as Duncan looked in the playoffs, he'll be an upgrade for them. They won't have near the defense they had last year, but they'll definitely be better offensively.

Pop has the right idea, you have to go big to beat the Warriors.

[loqo]

This GSW team can be beat. It is up to the NBA to solve their gimmicky offense.

Keep in mind the team has had a couple of seasons now to surprise this team with its gimmicky offense, it is now more than enough time for the league to solve this gimmicky offense. It is not real basketball. There is no way that a team that chucks low percentage three point shots from way behind the three point line should win NBA championships, and the truth is there is no reason to panic. They have only won one championship, and even that was because they beat a depleted Cavs team in the final. If the Cavs had been at full strength we would not even be talking about GSW as champions. They know that more than anybody, and that is why they scrambled to get Durant. They knew that a Durant on say a Boston Celtic that they could not beat twice would be too much for them to handle. Going after Durant was defense for them, not offense.

The 'rise' of GSW and their Johnny come lately fame reminds me of the gimmicky read option offense in football that was made famous by Chip Kelly at Oregon. This offense lights up the field but when they faced the big boys of the SEC in NC games the gimmicky offense just could not withstand the smashmouth size of the SEC boys. This approach must be employed against GSW. So here is how you beat this team.

1. Show no fear they are not invincible, and they know this. If they did not they would not have sold out to get Durant. Smash em in the mouth and knock that chip of their shoulders.

2. Follow the tried and tested formula in all of sports, dont allow them to dictate the pace of the game. He who dictates the pace wins the game. LBJ already showed that when you dictate the pace you can beat this team. Dont play small ball with them. Bring your bigs (more on that later). LBJ almost beat them on his own in 2015 and once he had his players back did beat them in 2016.

3. The key to their success when it counts is not Curry and it is not Thompson, that is why it wont be Durant either. All three are weak sauce. The keys to their success are Draymond Green and Andre Iguadala - guess who was MVP in their championship run in 2015, and guess who cost them the championship by getting suspended in a critical game in 2016 (imagine what would have happened if the NBA had the guts to suspend him against OKC for his bush league play). Igodala and Green bring the muscle, have the heart, and play the defense. You have to take those two out of their games. Green's game is based on energy and bullying. How do you deal with a bully? Stand up to him don't be intimidated. The entire league has to make sure the league does not protect this bully. Call him out stand up to him make the league notice his bush league tactics. So to deal with Green you need your own enforcer. Every Rodman deserves a Shawn Kemp, every Kurt Rambis deserves a McHale  take down, and Kobe could not operate until Metta moved over to protect him. When Shaq was with the Lakers no one, and I mean no one messed with Kobe. So you need to get a high energy guy to deal with Green. Boston has that in Jae Crowder, I dont think anyone would want to face him in a bar fight.

4. Neutralize Curry there is no way this small man should be dominating and winning MVPs in a big man's game. Run your offense against him. Make him play defense and make sure he is getting contact. He must feel like he has been through a 15 round boxing match at the end of the game. If he has to do that, trust me he wont be heaving three pointers from half court. On offense make him and Thompson put the ball on the floor and funnel them to your bigs make them pay in the paint. NBA is still a big man's game. Ask them if they missed Bogut in the final or not.

5. Make Durant beat you. If he does, it will be the first time. He lost in the NCAA tourney to a lowly USC team. USC is not even a basketball school, and yet Durant could not will his team to beat them. Play him hard and he becomes a turnover machine. By going to GSW he has demonstrated he lacks the heart of a champion therefore you must make him beat you. He makes very poor decisions when he is under pressure.

6. Play them with your bigs. You dont believe this, ask them if they missed Bogut last year and ask them what the OKC bigs did to them. Slow down the game, and make sure you smash em in the mouth from Green to Curry.

Remember GSW has not done this on the court yet, they beat a depleted Cavs team and lost to them the following year when they were at full strength.

Thank you! This is very smart from you, I agree with every word here. We already have hard working players but the biggest irony is that "C's" doesn't have true C in squad, maybe we can finally land Cousins, that would be huge, so I'm rooting for that option. Boston have all assets for that trade and he is every day probably more and more ****ed up for being part of Sacramento. Cousins+Horford would be deadly IMO. IT4-Bradley-Crowder-Al-Boogie would be great and probably there would be some cap space to sign atleast one more player. After this Durant fiasco I'm hoping every day from now that there will be again Cousins rumours but this time to get him. Maybe IT4 will be back to his recruiting job and Cousins demand trade or Ainge will go hard and this time and get Boogie in green.

[PhoSita]

What exactly is gimmicky about an offense built around Curry, Klay, Dray, and Durant?

The Warriors will be beatable, if they suffer multiple key injuries and / or suspensions.

throwing off balance three point shots or even set three point shots early in the shot clock is a gimmick. It is not how basketball was designed to be played. BB is still a big man's game. Go big Cs, and beat the gimmicky team.

When healthy, Curry is one of the best restricted area finishers in the game.  Durant can get to the rim and the line plenty.

And shooting lots of jumpers isn't such a bad plan when you've got three of the best shooters in the history of the league, including one who is seven feet tall.

Come on, let's not be sour grapes people here.  The Warriors were unbelievable without Durant before Curry got injured.  With a hobbled Curry, they were still really good.  Now, they will be unlike any team we have ever seen.

[guava_wrench]

There is nothing gimicky about the GS offense. The only think that stops it is Curry having bad legs.

There is nothing gimicky about pick and rolls. There is nothing gimicky about spacing and taking efficient shots.

There is no "tried and tested formula" against them apart from hoping Curry gets hurt. You can't just choose to "dictate pace". You are only able to dictate pace if Curry lost his explosiveness and can't get open or penetrate and kick, making it hard for GS to get good looks. It also helps to get Green suspended for a game.

It is easy to tell yourself these is some strategy that will get it done but you will still lose to the talent if they are healthy. Or unless you out-talent them, which is hard at the moment. Throw your bigs out there and enjoy watching they get embarrassed on pick and rolls.

Still, every team can lose a series because there is so much chance in life. GS still needs to get a big to replace Bogut. Looks like Zaza will be part of that solution on the cheap.

[bdm860]

This reminiscent of the reasonings the heat were going to fail.

We all know how that turned out

I don't think the Heat were as dominate as people thought they'd be though.  People were saying the same thing back then about the Heat that they are saying now about the Warriors, things like why even play, why even try to win a championship in the next 5 years, will they even lose a game, etc.

Four different teams were able to either beat the Heat or take them to a Game 7 on 5 different occasions (Dallas, San Antonio, Boston, and Indiana), and that was playing in an easier Eastern conference (though the West isn't looking as tough as it used to be now either).  There wasn't a single year where they were able to ease through the playoffs.  Roy Hibbert even looked like an MVP candidate against the Heat!

I think something similar will happen with the Warriors.  They'll be the best team, but they'll look human, be beatable, and won't break any records or go Fo' Fo' Fo' Fo'.  Chemistry isn't a guarantee either (though it is looking like it will be pretty good from where I sit).

[guava_wrench]

What exactly is gimmicky about an offense built around Curry, Klay, Dray, and Durant?

The Warriors will be beatable, if they suffer multiple key injuries and / or suspensions.

throwing off balance three point shots or even set three point shots early in the shot clock is a gimmick. It is not how basketball was designed to be played. BB is still a big man's game. Go big Cs, and beat the gimmicky team.

And who designed basketball with such a strategy? You are talking abstract nonsense.The game was designed to get the ball in the hole. It was designed without a 3pt line. We now have a 3pt line. How many of the current rules existed when the game was "designed"? Were there 3 second violations? Was there a lane? What actions were considered legal defensively?

The who line of reasoning goes no where. It is just you expressing your preferred style as if it descended from heaven.

You seem very out of touch with the NBA, were Cleveland played a PF primarily at C and GS is best with a PF at C.

Your opinion of basketball style is worth nothing. What matters is actual numbers. How efficient is a player at the shot he takes over large sample sizes? How efficient is the team offense and team defense? Just asserting what is a "gimmick" and what is proper basketball adds no substance to the discussion.