Why Stephen A has confidence Warriors can go on NBA playoff run initially appeared on NBC Sports activities Bay Space
A lot of the NBA world has counted the Warriors out of championship competition as they hold on to the ultimate play-in spot by a thread, however ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith has greater hopes.
Golden State (41-34) presently holds the Western Convention’s No. 10 seed with seven regular-season video games remaining within the 2023-24 NBA season. After profitable their fifth straight recreation Tuesday to snap the red-hot Dallas Mavericks’ seven-game win streak, Smith was requested if he believes the Warriors nonetheless can go on a run throughout the closing stretch of the season.
“I do,” Smith responded with out hesitation on Wednesday’s “First Take” episode. “Initially, perceive how vital taking pictures is. You bought to have the ability to shoot from the perimeter. You bought to have the ability to make free throws come playoff time as a result of clearly, the sport would not velocity up, it comparatively slows down to some extent. You may get to the free-throw line and there aren’t a variety of groups as environment friendly because the Golden State Warriors — so I do not suppose we are able to ignore that.”
“However they’re on a five-game profitable streak. [The] first 4 of these video games have been on the street. They gained all 4 of these video games. That is when noise was being made in regards to the Houston Rockets nipping at their heels and unexpectedly they go on a profitable streak. Are you aware that the Warriors are main everyone in defensive effectivity over that time period? And principally, 4 of the 5 opponents held to 100 factors or fewer. We won’t ignore that both.”
Golden State has been taking part in among the finest protection within the NBA for over a month now, and over its final 5 video games, is barely second to the Miami Warmth with a 102.9 defensive score.
The Warriors saved prime NBA MVP candidate Luka Dončić and the Mavericks in verify in most of Tuesday evening’s win and held Dallas’ high-scoring offense almost 19 factors beneath its season common.
Simply final week, the Rockets have been the most popular group within the NBA. Their 11-game win streak put them only one recreation behind the Warriors, and Houston ahead Tari Eason despatched Golden State a frightening PSA in a viral video message: “Warriors, come out to play.”
Since Eason’s video, the Rockets gained another recreation earlier than dropping their subsequent two. And, fittingly, their subsequent matchup is in opposition to … the Warriors on Thursday. Whereas the competition is anticipated to be an thrilling recreation given Eason’s video and Golden State’s historical past with former Grizzlies-turned-Rockets ahead Dillon Brooks, Houston is now three video games behind Golden State.
Smith can also be impressed with different Warriors gamers stepping up as their famous person Steph Curry experiences a tough patch of taking pictures struggles.
“Oh by the best way, the fantastic, the wondrous, the best shooter god ever created in Steph Curry is barely averaging 20 factors over this streak, however taking pictures 41 p.c from 3-point vary,” Smith continued. “Simply final evening, he had 13 factors on 5-of-18 taking pictures, however he nonetheless hit 3 of his 5 pictures from 3-point vary. Different dudes are stepping up. And I am it from that perspective. Your capacity to shoot, your capacity to attain is one factor. However what was the ingredient to the Golden State Warriors’ success all through these years? Protection. They performed protection.
“And that’s what they’re doing now. They’re being efficient with it. They now have a three-game cushion on the Houston Rockets. They received seven regular-season video games left.”
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