If the Warriors want to conquer the Clippers on Wednesday night, here’s the first step: play defense the way they did in Monday night’s rout of Memphis.
Even though the Warriors won their first three games, most players acknowledged their defense in them was merely adequate. They cranked it up against the Grizzlies, holding them to 27.1 percent shooting and 69 points.
“Our defense last night was the best we’ve played all year,” guard Klay Thompson said Tuesday. “It was a suffocating-type defense. We gave them no good looks.”
Interim head coach Luke Walton measures defense by how actively his players are communicating, switching and not permitting easy baskets.