It was written.
Flashback to last April: David Lee was nursing nerve damage that stretched from his back to his right hamstring, Draymond Green had only a handful of starts under his belt, Mark Jackson was coach and the Warriors were in the midst of shuffling lineups and unsure of their playoff seeding.
-== 7 Reasons Why Stephen Curry is the NBA MVP ==-
As seen this season with Lee’s preseason injury forcing Kerr’s hand to start Green, the circumstances of Lee’s injury last season shed light on the best lineup this team can trot out: Curry/Thompson/Iguodala/Green/Bogut. “Oh yeah, that’s our killer line-up,” said Bogut last season. Context is key, as Bogut was referring to how the team reacted defensively with those five on the floor.
As was often the case with the previous coaching staff, the realization of such an advantage came too late, and that “killer lineup,” as Bogut put it, only logged 71 minutes the entire season despite a net rating of 16.1. This season, that same lineup shared 181 minutes with a net rating of 28.3.
That ferocity that lineup brings on the defensive end is one example of why they’re the best five-man unit in the league. On Monday night, that lineup closed the game, playing the final five minutes and allowing a measly three points during that span: one layup and two made free throws courtesy of Tyreke Evans. That’s it.
On a night where Curry didn’t have his best – 22 points on 9-for-21 shooting (3-for-9 from deep), six assists, five turnovers and scoreless for the final 17+ minutes – it was the surrounding pieces and Curry’s other radical talents that paved the way for a gritty 97-87 Game 2 victory.
“It was an interesting game for us,” head coach Steve Kerr said following the win. “The second and fourth quarters were great. The first and third were pretty rough.” The Warriors scored more points in the second quarter (38) than they did in the first and third quarters combined (33). It was far from a flawless victory, and Kerr continued on to say the team’s focus was “sporadic” throughout.
While the fourth quarter was the defensive showcase, the second quarter was the offensive onslaught: 38 points on 77 percent shooting with eight different Warriors scoring. Besides Green — who played all 12 minutes — the other seven players’ minutes were spread rather evenly throughout, and the contributions spread across the board.
The oft-discussed enigma known as Shaun Livingston helped orchestrate on both ends, Mo Speights hit his patented midrange jumper, LeAndro Barbosa slashed his way towards eight points and additionally, got the fiery Oracle Arena crowd back in the game. Hours after Pelicans head coach Monty Williams claimed the arena’s crowd noise to be “illegal,” fans let him know quickly that what he heard in Game 1 isn’t near the loudest it can get.
Williams instead should’ve used “illegal” to describe Green, who was a terror on both ends during Game 2, especially in the final quarter. As if he needed any more reason to be voted Defensive Player of the Year or earn a maximum offer sheet this coming summer, the defense the third-year player displayed against Davis late in the game helped seal it.
Davis failed to record a single field goal in the final quarter, notching just six points on free throws when his team needed him the most. Davis was forcing shots, but it was Green who was the enforcer. Not only was Davis gassed – from the surplus of minutes – he was being bodied by Green in what was mostly one-on-one situations.
Just two days earlier, Davis notched 20 points on 7-for-10 shooting and six rebounds in all 12 minutes of the final stanza. Monday: six points on 0-for-5 shooting and three rebounds in all 12 minutes. “At the end of the day, I always say ‘goon up.’ Just bring that dog out,” Green said back in January. When Green is gooning up like he did Monday, there’s little the opponent can do.
It was the epitome of a team effort in Game 2. If it wasn’t the killer lineup it was the reserves, if it wasn’t Green locking down Davis it was Thompson scoring 14 points in the final quarter, if it wasn’t Curry it was his elder counterpart Barbosa, if it wasn’t Joey Crawford it was, well, still Joey Crawford. The Pelicans are fighting admirably; about as admirably a young eighth seed can challenge a 67-win team on the road.
If the difference in systems isn’t clear, the talent disparity should be. The Pelicans have the best building block in the league and have surrounded him with commendable flairs. But, as the team is staring at a 0-2 deficit as they head back to New Orleans, it simply hasn’t been enough.
“We know that we can beat this team,” said Davis following the game.
He’s running out of time to prove it.
Well written. Green should win DPOY but he likely won’t. He is 6’6 maybe 6’7 at best. The voters think centers deserve this award. Reality check.