May 11, 2013

"Golden Boys" Taking the NBA Playoffs By Storm

By - Jaquan Murphy

They weren't supposed to advance past the first round. Once they did, most expected them to get blown away in the conference semi-finals. Yet here they are, standing toe-to-toe with a former 4-time champion.

For those who do not follow them religiously, this has been a coming-out party of sorts for the Warriors. Just call the "Golden Boys" from Golden State this year's Cinderella team of the NBA playoffs.

Photo by: Robert Galbraith
The Warriors finished the regular season in second place in the Pacific Division and sixth overall in the Western Conference. They proved to have a high-octane offense, finishing seventh in the league in scoring at 101.2 ppg. As a team, one of their biggest strengths has been their ability to control the boards. They averaged 45 rebounds per game this year, third-best in the NBA.

Throughout the season and into the playoffs, Golden State has shown that they are a tough, gritty bunch that can outshoot the opposition on any given night. They average 10 3-pointers per game and shoot close to 50% from the field as a collective unit.

The "Golden Boys" are led by emerging star Steph Curry, who averaged 23 points and 7 assists per game during the regular season. The sharpshooter from Davidson University has been even more impressive in the postseason, averaging 25 points and 9 dimes per contest.

Curry's partner-in-crime in the backcourt is 6'7 guard Klay Thompson. The former Washington State Cougar averaged 17 ppg during the regular season and is putting up 18 per in the playoffs, including an electrifying 34-point performance in Game 2 of their current series versus San Antonio.

Another vital part of Golden State's success has been their frontcourt, where the combination of David Lee and Andrew Bogut has been a fairly formidable matchup for any duo looking to control the paint against the Warriors. Combined, the two averaged 19 rebounds per game during the regular season. With Lee injured in the playoffs, Bogut has stepped his game up, averaging 8 points, 11 boards and 2 blocks.

Other major contributors for Golden State have been guard Jarrett Jack and forward Carl Landry. Jack was the team's leading bench scorer during the season, averaging 13 ppg while dishing out 6 assists to boot. So far in the postseason, he's been an even bigger factor, dropping 17 points a night. Landry was the team's leading bench rebounder for the year, grabbing 6 boards per game. He's been equally as effective in the playoffs, averaging 12 and 5 per.

The 2013 postseason has shown us that everyone needs to stop shrugging the Warriors off as a team that's going to be an easy out. This squad is capable of running any team in the league right out of the gym, so when you step on the court with them, you better bring your A-game.

Ask the Nuggets and Spurs.

3 comments:

  1. They are so much fun to watch. That series with the Nuggets was great.

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  2. They lose game 4 its over. Their not coming back down 3-1 to the Spurs.

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  3. No mention of Harrison Barnes?

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