BY SAM LACHOW
| Brooklyn Nets |
Breakdown |
Golden State Warriors |
| 25-27 | Record | 33-22 |
| 5-5 | Last 10 Games | 6-4 |
| 103.1 | Points scored per 100 possessions | 104.1 |
| 104.6 | Points allowed per 100 possessions | 99.3 |
| 93.9 | Possessions per game | 98.8 |
| 45.1% | Field goal percentage | 45.8% |
| 36.7% | Three-point percentage | 38.0% |
| 47.7% | Rebound percentage | 51.3% |
| 15.3% | Turnover percentage | 16.0% |
| Joe Johnson (15.3) | Top Scorer | Stephen Curry (24.4) |
Projected starting lineup: Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Andre Iguodala, David Lee, Jermaine O’Neal
Last time out: Nets 102, Warriors 98. Kevin Garnett was the man again.
This the Warriors have to pace themselves as they compete in the brutal Western Conference. They’re currently 11 games over .500, but it only puts them at the 7th seed in the Western Conference.
Led by Curry, Thompson and Lee on offense, Mark Jackson’s squad is 10th in points per game at 103.5, and 10th in assists per game at 22.7 per game. On the defensive end, the Warriors are second in the league in rebounds per game, and the addition of Andre Iguodala and re-emergence of Andrew Bogut has pushed the Warriors to a top-10 defense. Bogut is listed as “doubtful” with a shoulder injury.
Everyone knows that the Warriors shoot the lights out. Curry and Thompson have proven to be two of the best shooters in the league, and Curry may be one of the best shooters the NBA has ever seen. Here’s how Curry performed in Golden State’s last game:
The Warriors play an incredibly up-tempo offense as well. Golden State is in the top eight in the league in PACE or possessions per game at 98.8. The pace means they’re a bit turnover-prone, but they shoot so well it’s a minor quibble.
David Lee is a player to look out for. While his defense may be mediocre, Lee still crashes the boards consistently. Seeing as the Nets are one of the worst rebounding teams in the league, Lee may be in for a huge night.
The Warriors are a nightmare matchup for the Nets, in the sense that they can hit the three and the Nets have a hard time defending the three. Still, since the start of 2014 the Nets have been playing better in all facets on defense. Aggressive defenders Alan Anderson and Shaun Livingston will have to make a difference. The Nets need to step up on the glass, as Bogut and Lee will be crashing the boards the second Thompson, Curry, or Iguodala put up a shot.
