NBA Playoffs 2013: Golden State Warriors Playoff Profile
By Chris Lee
Klay Thompson will be a playoff participant for the first time this spring. Photo Credit: Nikk La, Flickr.com
The Golden State Warriors have had one of the best seasons in franchise history. The Warriors did not make the playoffs last season. This is the first season since 2007-08 that the Golden State Warriors will finish with a record above .500. It is also the first time the Warriors will make the playoffs since the 2006-07 season, in which the Warriors upset the No. 1-seeded Dallas Mavericks in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs.
Golden State coach Mark Jackson has guided the Warriors offense to No. 7 in the NBA, averaging 101.2 points per game, and Golden State is No. 3 in the NBA in rebounding with 44.9 rebounds per game. Jackson’s accomplishments in only his second season as an NBA head coach have him being considered as a candidate for the 2012-13 NBA Coach of the Year Award. Here is the Golden State Warriors playoff profile, breaking down the season that was and looking forward to what is still to come.
Current Vitals
The Golden State Warriors have a 46-35 record with one game remaining against the Portland Trail Blazers.
The Warriors are currently the No. 6 seed in the Western Conference and finished second in the Pacific Division to the Los Angeles Clippers. The Houston Rockets still have a shot to match the Warriors’ record and Houston would pass Golden State for the No. 6 spot with a win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday, April 17, coupled with a Warriors’ loss at Portland. Houston beat Golden State three out of four times during the regular season to gain the tiebreaker advantage.
Team Leaders
Points: Stephen Curry, 23 ppg
Rebounds: David Lee, 11.2 rpg
Assists: Stephen Curry, 6.9 apg
Steals: Stephen Curry, 1.6 spg
Blocks: Andrew Bogut, 1.7 bpg
Emotional Leader: Power Forward David Lee
David Lee performs the Joakim Noah role for the Golden State Warriors. Lee brings constant energy to the court every night and his effort is most noticeable on the boards, where Lee is No. 4 in the NBA in rebounding averaging 11.2 rebounds per game. Those 11.2 rebounds are a big reason why the Warriors are the No. 3 in the NBA in rebounding. His ability to crash the glass allows the Warriors to get out and run. Lee has also been a steady performer on offense averaging 18.4 points per game. Lee is the No. 2 scoring option for the Warrior and does not need to have plays drawn up to be effective.
Player to Watch: Stephen Curry
After struggling with ankle injuries last season there was concern over whether Curry could take on the offensive load without former Warriors shooting guard Monta Ellis. Curry leads the team in points, assists and steals and is shooting a ridiculous 45.5 percent from 3-point range shooting despite taking around eight 3-point shots per game. Curry is having a career year for the Warriors on the offensive end of the court. However, equally impressive has been his improved defense under coach Mark Jackson. Curry is averaging 1.6 steals per game and will need to continue to improve as it looks like he will have the unenviable task of guarding either Los Angeles Clippers point guard Chris Paul and Denver Nuggets point guard Ty Lawson.
First-Round Matchup
The Golden State Warriors will take on either the Denver Nuggets, Los Angeles Clippers or the Memphis Grizzlies in the first round of the NBA playoffs.