The Golden State Warriors are currently a season-high 18 games over .500 with a record of 44-26. There have been many ups and downs throughout the season. The ups include a 10 game winning streak early in the season, while the downs include playing down to their opponents and losing some bad home games. With the NBA playoffs just a few weeks away, the Warriors are still surrounded by questions and uncertainties.
1. Will the Warriors be healthy enough to make a deep playoff run?
Health was a heavy concern coming into this season for the Warriors, especially with injury-prone guys like Stephen Curry and Andrew Bogut. Thus far, injuries have not played a huge role in the outcome of the season. Some nagging injuries of late have brought up some concerns of whether or not Bogut will be able to last through the rest of this season.
Bogut has remained relatively healthy this season compared to previous seasons. It'll be crucial for the Warriors to have a healthy Bogut in the playoffs. He is the anchor of the Warriors defense and the best rim protector they have. His defensive presence will be crucial for the Warriors.
Curry has remained healthy pretty much the entire season. This has been a huge relief for the Warriors who rely on Curry to do so much on the offensive end. There is a huge drop-off in offensive production when Curry isn't on the floor. Those ankles of his have held up remarkably this season, and it's the difference between the Warriors being a legitimate contender rather than just another playoff team.
Other guys with injury issues this season include Andre Iguodala and Jermaine O'Neal. Iguodala has been hampered by knee and hamstring issues, while O'Neal has mainly had wrist issues. While neither player puts up huge offensive numbers, their presence is huge for the Warriors. It appears as if injuries won't set back the Warriors in their pursuit of an NBA Championship.
2. Will the bench be a problem or an asset?
The Warriors bench has been one of the worst in the NBA for most of this season. A couple of trades brought Steve Blake and Jordan Crawford in to help secure the bench. With the additions of Blake and Crawford, the bench has looked brilliant at times, while other times they can't throw the ball into the ocean.
While the bench does struggle at times to score, they are a pretty solid defensive unit as a whole with guys like Draymond Green and Jermaine O'Neal. When they can make a few shots, they can be one of the best benches in the league.
There is no lack of leadership on the Warriors bench with Blake, O'Neal, and Green. Leadership doesn't score points and play defense, though. One way that Mark Jackson could get rid of the scoring production problem from the bench is to integrate bench players with starters. The mixing of starters and bench players would probably be a more efficient way for the Warriors to play, and would benefit offensive and defensive production as a whole.
Bench minutes will more than likely tighten up in the playoffs, so if Mark Jackson feels that the bench isn't playing well, there will be a short leash and he'll bring the starters back in. As of late, Jackson has been trying to use his bench a bit more. This could be a way to test how they play as a unit, or it could be to rest the starters a bit more so they will be fresher for the playoffs. Either way, the bench will be on a tight leash because of how effective the starters are in comparison.
3. How far can Stephen Curry carry the Warriors?
When Stephen Curry has his jump shot going, he can carry any team in the NBA. That being said, opposing defenses try to clamp down on Curry early in games because they know how dangerous he can be when he's hot. The San Antonio Spurs did a pretty good job of shutting down Curry in the playoffs last year with defenders like Danny Green and Kawhi Leonard. The length and toughness of Green and Leonard seemed to give Curry some problems.
Stephen Curry can carry the Warriors at least a few rounds into the playoffs, and maybe even to the Western Conference Finals if his teammates play well alongside him. Klay Thompson and David Lee will be key components to a deep playoff run because they are the second and third scoring options for the Warriors who Curry will often be forced to defer to because of double and triple teams while he has the ball. Ball movement is key for the Warriors when opposing teams send multiple defenders at Curry.
As seen in the video below, if the opposing team allows Curry to get hot, he can throw a knockout punch like few others can. He scores 22 points in just over 6 minutes in the third quarter of a playoff game against the Denver Nuggets last season.
[embed]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dbk7BlCShsE[/embed]
While Curry can definitely carry the Warriors for stretches of games, he can't single handedly carry the Warriors by himself. It's highly unlikely for Curry to get red hot every single game, so the supporting cast will play a big part in determining how far the Warriors go in the playoffs. There is great potential for this team to go far in the playoffs, especially if they continue to defend at a high level, make perimeter shots, and stay healthy.
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