Golden State Warriors: 3 takeaways from Game 5 vs. Spurs

1. Game 5 epitomizes Curry-less Warriors

In Games 1 and 2, incandescent shooting from Thompson and poor Spurs’ performances led to high-scoring, large-margin wins. Game 3 was similar in the second half, while the Game 4 loss had a motivational disparity written all over it.

Finally, in Game 5, we saw the Curry-less Warriors for what they really are: A flawed offensive team capable of winning ugly in the prettiest way possible.

The offensive holes were glaring. While Durant and Thompson were an uncharacteristic 2-of-13 from deep, even a strong 6-of-13 showing would have left them 9-for-27 as a team.

Despite that, the Warriors finished the game with a decent 103.1 offensive rating (per NBA.com). They shot 57.1 percent from 2-point range, 20-of-25 from the line, and only turned the ball over 10 times. Even with zero floor-spacing, the Warriors finished with 25 assists, making expert cuts and precision passes. And when buckets were needed, Durant and Thompson got them.

Then there’s the way this team defends when engaged, which renders a 103.1 offensive rating more than decent. They held the Spurs to a 95.1 offensive rating, despite 13 offensive boards and a 14-of-14 night from the line for LaMarcus Aldridge. Iguodala in Curry’s place gives the team four elite defenders in the starting lineup, and Kevon Looney‘s increased role (23 minutes in Game 5) makes the Warriors as hard to score on as ever.

When Curry comes back, that will change. The defense will still be elite, but not quite as overwhelming.

Next: Full two-round 2018 NBA Mock Draft

Of course, 5-for-27 nights from 3 will also be a thing of the past. The trade-off will probably be worthwhile.