Golden State Warriors: 5 keys to series vs. Pelicans

5. The bench mob

The Warriors’ bench mob isn’t as good as it’s been in years gone by. There’s a lot of talent there, but they’ve struggled to hold leads throughout the season and oftentimes it’s been the difference between winning and losing. The Pelicans have a solid bench, but the Warriors can outplay them.

The key to this series for the bench mob is to not force shots and to place a greater emphasis on defense. Rather than playing desperately and panicking, the goal has to be to concentrate on and consolidate what the starters have done throughout the game.

It’s quite simple: The bench needs to focus on playing smarter basketball. The talent is there. So is the ability. The veteran experience should be enough to guide this team in the right direction. Now it’s a matter of putting it all together against tough opposition in a high-pressure situation.

There’s no doubt this bench mob is capable, but it needs to distance itself from many of the mistakes it made during the regular season. A continuation of the Warriors’ bench play against the Spurs in the first round is what’s needed.