“Adapt or Die”

ten years ago, Warriors were the source of the revolution: using the 3-point shot with Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson leading the way. It was the birth of a dynasty for the franchise with four NBA titles, but also a trend with teams also starting to focus on the 3-point shot.

But basketball is constantly evolving, and last season, the Thunder and Pacers reached the NBA Finals by focusing on speed and defensive aggressiveness. The game is getting faster, threes have become more common, but formations are again relying on the inside game, and the Warriors are being forced to adapt.

While his team have just missed out on what could be a costly end-of-season fixture, Steve Kerr has returned to this complicated period for his group.

“It’s clear that we’ve missed a few games and we’re aware of that.” the coach of Golden State also admitted in the show Willard & Dibs. “But we can’t just say, ‘Come on, we’ve got to move now. There’s got to be a process that leads to execution and then wins. So for now, the focus is on the process. Let’s take care of the damn ball, and we as coaches can help you with spacing, our offensive schemes. … It’s a collaboration. »

Turnovers, the No. 1 problem for the Warriors

The Warriors are at a crossroads with the Big Three at the end of their careers and the rise of young talent. How do you get the best of both? “Ultimately, you know … you have to adapt or die. The league has changed, and everyone is playing fast and shooting 3-pointers now. Seven or eight years ago, we could lose 18 possessions, and it didn’t matter, because we were going to make up for it with pace, 3-point shooting and superior talent. Today, you can play by playing one of the 20 worst teams in the league. Three-pointers and playing very fast if you lose too many balls.

The players may never have been more talented and athletic, and so we have to go back to the basics: locking down the rebound to avoid “second chances” and limiting cash-paying turnovers.

In Golden State, this is a real problem as the team ranks 18th in the league reversals per match (16.1) and 18. for turnover per property (14.9 %).

“Our team as a whole needs to understand this message,” concludes Steve Kerr. “Obviously, I’ve already conveyed it to them. I’m not going to tell you this without telling them, but I want them to hear it on the radio as well: We have to adapt to what the league is doing right now, and that means taking care of the ball.”