SAN FRANCISCO – With the NBA preseason in the books, the Warriors essentially completed their 2023 training camp on Sunday. Although some aspects went smoothly, at least one critical challenge remains largely unfinished.
The preseason revealed their defensive deficiencies. This element still needs a lot of repair before it can reach the level required for a championship contender.
And Game 1 of the regular season is now two days away.
“Come Tuesday night,” Klay Thompson said, looking ahead to opening night, “I think you’re going to see a much better defensive performance than you’ve seen the last two weeks.”
Coach Steve Kerr is hopeful but more cautious.
“We have to be more consistent,” Kerr said after a light skirmish on Sunday. “I didn’t think our defense was great in preseason. Things have to get better.”
Preseason games are the first steps in developing good habits, and the Warriors were wildly inconsistent on defense. The result was a rating of 108.7, which ranked 22nd out of 30 teams.
These numbers reflect the absence of Draymond Green, who missed all five preseason games, but also the players’ sloppy habits on the field.
“Sometimes our shell is great. “Sometimes our shell isn’t there,” said Green, who was able to take part in the battle. “Sometimes when we have certain groups on site, they communicate. And then other groups don’t communicate properly. I can help with that.”
Green was selected to the All-Defensive team eight times and was the Defensive Player of the Year in 2016-17. He is probably the most versatile defender in the league and can guard all five positions. Golden State’s defense is bound to suffer in his absence.
Things will get better after he returns. He could be available for Tuesday’s season opener, but will almost certainly be ready by Game 2 on Oct. 27 against the Kings in Sacramento.
“Draymond will automatically make us better because he is Draymond,” Kerr said.
“But that doesn’t absolve us from making some of the mistakes that we make, because those mistakes will happen whether Draymond is there or not unless we correct them.”
One of the most problematic areas was sales. Golden State averaged 17.6 per game, ranking 18th in the league. Even more concerning was the 21 points per game that opponents scored from these gifts. This is an indication of a team that loses too many balls.
“That has to be a focus of ours,” Green said. “It’s hard to defend that.”
Green acknowledged that he and Stephen Curry are typically most responsible for turnovers – but that Chris Paul, a player with low turnovers throughout his career, will be something of an antidote.
However, that doesn’t explain the defensive problems in the halfcourt seen last season and the preseason. There are just too many mishaps, often leading to reaching fouls or giving up easy baskets.
“The most important thing for this group is going to be communication,” Green said. “It’s a new group that’s still getting used to each other and learning each other’s strengths. What speeds up this process is communication.
“I’m going to say this publicly because I want to put that pressure on and I know he’ll handle it: We need Kevon Looney to talk more. Loon is someone who has become central to what we do. He knows everything. Everything.”
Draymond asks Looney to do what former big man Andrew Bogut did so well during his time with the Warriors. Recognize what the opponent is trying to do and say it out loud. And also to organize traffic, especially within the 3-point arc. And always inform your teammates about the conditions behind it.
“It will be important for us to hear his voice better because everyone on the court feels more comfortable hearing the big voice,” Green said of Looney. “And he has grown in this area. I think it’s time for him to take the ultimate step in this area. I have no doubt he will and that will be huge for us.”
Unless this happens regularly, it’s just a theory.
At the moment, defense issues are more of a routine matter than a matter of great concern. The Warriors believe they are fixable. What they don’t know is how long it will take.
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