Dubs end challenging road trip on winning note
The Golden State Warriors once again had to overcome a double digit deficit and their own malaise to pull off a hard fought and close win against a Joel Embiid-less but dangerous 76er squad in Philly. Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry and DeMarcus Cousins combined for 87 points. Compensating for Klay Thompson’s absence, the Warriors received a huge boost of scoring off the bench from Damion Lee with 12. Here are a few observations from the Warriors’ 120-117 over the 76ers.
Issues On Defense
In the games opening possessions, Philadelphia made it a point to draw DeMarcus Cousins away from the paint and on to the perimeter. If the Sixers weren’t attacking Cousins with variations of pick and roll, the Warriors were lax in transition defense and running the Sixers’ shooters off the line. The perimeter defense was so weak that the Sixers’ Mike Scott was looking like Ray Allen reincarnated, shooting 6-for 9 from three. As prolific as Klay Thompson is offensively, his defense doesn’t get enough credit, until it isn’t there. The Warriors were definitely missing Thompson’s defense just as much as his offensive production.
However in the second half, Green and Andre Igluodala’s stops proved the be the hugest stops all game long. The duo double teamed and trapped Philadelphia into squandering control of a game with 21 lead changes.
The End Of Curry’s Shooting Woes?
At 10-for-23 from the field and 5-for-15 from three, Stephen Curry did not shoot the ball well. However, he scored 11 of the Warriors’ 27 points in the fourth quarter. A personal 6-0 run helped seal the victory. Since Curry had a decent quarter amid struggling to find his rhythm for most of his 35 minutes of action, it isn’t too far-fetched to believe that Curry’s four week slump may come to an end soon. Most importantly, Curry isn’t concerned about his stretch of poor shooting.
The case for a bigger role for Jordan Bell
For the fourth game in a row, the play of Jordan Bell has been a positive for the Warriors. While Kevon Looney didn’t play against the Sixers, Bell took advantage and proved once again that Warriors coach Steve Kerr may need to consider adding him to the regular rotation. In 15 minutes of action, Bell was an eager rebounder and came up huge defensively with a couple of clutch blocks down the stretch.
Could Damion Lee be the Warriors’ 15th Man
With 12 points off of 4-of-6 shooting and 4-of-5 from deep against the 76ers, Damion Lee made a strong case as to why he may end up taking the Warriors’ 15th roster spot. Lee is currently on a two way contract and is averaging 19 points per game for the Sea Dubs. The case for Lee converting the deal is the fact the he’s spend most of his two way contract on the active roster due to injuries to rotation players. Also, Lee could help fill a void on a bench that struggles to score most nights. However defense may be a weakness.