Too much has been done by the Golden State Warriors for them to be terrified by the present. Together with Hall of Fame skill and coaching, they also have experience and a history of winning championships. At this stage, switching from regular season to postseason basketball is automatic in muscle memory. Their difficulty will not be intellectual; rather, it will be in carrying out the plan.
Klay Thompson, one of those Warriors who has seen it all during his 12-year career, channeled his inner John Wooden and explained the three keys to success for the Dubs in the NBA Playoffs.
“We have to value the ball more, take great shots, communicate on defense,” Thompson said after the team’s 119-97 road win over the undermanned Sacramento Kings, via ClutchPoints. “If we do those three things, I don’t see a team who can beat us in a seven-game series when we’re healthy.”
"We have to value the ball more, take great shots, communicate on defense. If we do those three things I don't see a team who can beat us in a seven game series when we're healthy"
Klay Thompson on the keys to success for the Warriors 🗣️pic.twitter.com/hCeidccAcm
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) April 8, 2023
Obviously, those are fundamental aspects of basketball that any coach will harp on, but the comments more speak to how dangerous Golden State could actually be in the coming weeks. As stated above, this team, led by Stephen Curry, Thompson and Draymond Green, possess much of the necessary intangibles for winning spring basketball games. They just will have to play smart and clean.
However, that has been something out of the Warriors’ grasp for much of the season. They have a 10-30 record on the road and have also struggled in the very areas the five-time All-Star said will be the deciding factors. While shooting has been a definite strength- Curry and Thompson both eclipse 41 percent from 3-point range-, lapses in defense and problems with turnovers (last in NBA at 16.3) could continue to keep this group from reaching their dynastic ceiling.
They have to work out those kinks quick because they are currently lined up for an opening round matchup with the Phoenix Suns. It is a showdown that will make NBA junkies grin ear to ear, but it might behoove the defending champions to face another foe before who many see as the gatekeepers of the Western Conference.
That might give the Warriors the needed extra time to really master Klay Thompson’s keys to success.
Source: https:/clutchpoints.com
