The Warriors can learn from OKC and Indiana despite being eliminated from the postseason
The Warriors can learn from OKC and Indiana despite being eliminated from the postseason
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SAN FRANCISCO – The Warriors’ brand of basketball, once revolutionary, appears downright antiquated compared to the breathtaking hoops being played in the NBA Finals.
The Pacers and Thunder look light years ahead of Golden State as young, flexible, and tactically modern rosters zoom up and down the court.
Athleticism, overt defensive intensity and speed shine through on each roster.
It is a stark contrast to the kind of plodding game Golden State partook in this year, which ended in the second round of the playoffs, albeit thanks in large part to a devastating Steph Curry hamstring injury.
Though the Warriors are not participating in the championship series, they could still learn a thing or two from the Finals, which Indiana leads 2-1.
Golden State has the stars in Curry, Draymond Green and Jimmy Butler. But there is work to be done elsewhere.
Here are three lessons Golden State can take away from the last series of the 2024-25 NBA season:
Versatile supporting wings are invaluable
Both rosters are stacked with rangy, bouncy athletes between 6-foot-4 and 6-7 who can make open 3-pointers – and sometimes not-so-open triples – and manufacture shots while also playing hounding defense.
The Pacers have shotmaking players in Aaron Nesmith, Andrew Nembhard and Bennedict Mathurin, and the Thunder have arguably the best perimeter defender in the league in Lu Dort, while Alex Caruso, Cason Wallace and Aaron Wiggins are all dogged stoppers.
Meanwhile, the Warriors have … the hot-and-cold Moses Moody and maybe all-energy, iffy-offense Gui Santos currently on the roster?
Finding that kind of player will be difficult, since expecting immediate production from the No. 41 overall pick in the draft, while not unprecedented (see Quinten Post, Jordan Bell, Patrick McCaw), would be far from a sure thing.
Those players are also expensive in free agency, but if there’s any GM that can find a bargain, it is Mike Dunleavy.
Keep an eye out for Sion James, the 6-6 Duke wing who worked out for the Warriors. The 22-year-old is strong and can make a corner 3.
Rim-protecting bigs are a must
The 6-foot-7 Green is one of the greatest defensive players in NBA history, but both coach Steve Kerr and Dunleavy believe that the team needs to find a true center to start at the five next season.
After watching Myles Turner take over the fourth quarter of Game 3 with his rim protection, it is easy to see why.
Green is incredible, but at this stage of his career, the 35-year-old is not the strong-side shot blocker most elite teams possess.
OKC has two of those shot-swatters in Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein, and all of the rotational bigs in the Finals are capable of switching onto any opponent.
Kevon Looney has been a reliable and beloved part of the team for a decade, but the Finals have shown that the team needs a more explosive player starting in the middle.
Finding threats off the dribble
TJ McConnell turned around Game 3 with his energy and made headlines after intercepting three different OKC inbounds passes as a pesky defender.
But when superstar Tyrese Haliburton was on the bench, the undersized guard’s ability to break down a defense off the dribble – even shaking Shai Gilgeous-Alexander a few times – helped keep the up-tempo Pacers’ attack in fifth gear.
That capability to force a defense to collapse off the dribble all but disappeared after Curry’s injury.
Even when the superstar was healthy, only the 37-year-old Curry and 35-year-old Butler appeared capable of taking their defender off the bounce and getting to the rim.
Unless Brandin Podziemski develops that skill, the Warriors should prioritize bringing in a quick athlete who can get downhill in a hurry.
Someone who fits that profile is Tre Jones, a veteran point guard who, despite having size and shot-making flaws that keep him from being a regular starter, has the ability to get to the rim and is a capable passer.