Golden State Warriors: 5 Takeaways From Game 5 vs. Blazers
5. Rebounding Could Use Some Work
With the Oklahoma City Thunder up 3-2 against the San Antonio Spurs and the series heading back to OKC, the Warriors could be facing the league’s best rebounding team in the conference finals. If that’s the case, the Dubs will definitely need to shore up their work on the glass.
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For the series against Portland, the Warriors were out-rebounded by four overall, which isn’t a huge deal. But they gave up double-digit offensive rebounds in four of those five games, which is exactly how Enes Kanter feasts off the bench.
It’s also worth noting that in three regular season meetings with the Thunder, the Warriors were out-rebounded by an average of 15.3 (including one game with a massive 35-rebound discrepancy) and they also surrendered an average of 13.0 offensive rebounds per game.
Whether the Dubs are playing the Thunder or the Spurs is irrelevant, however. Golden State needs a healthy Andrew Bogut and Draymond Green to bring their best defense, which includes closing out defensive stops with a rebound.
When the Warriors go small with that Death Lineup, their only weakness is on the glass. In those instances, the pressure will be on Green, Harrison Barnes and Andre Iguodala to help clean up the boards and prevent second chance opportunities.
Next: No. 4