Warriors targeted defense gains strategic advantage, exposes Clippers offensive woes

The Warriors' defensive strategy can actually be summarized in a high-level from a set of matchups. And Cole also said bluntly after the game: "We don't let Dream Chase guard Zubac, but let him sweep up the help defense, and let Horford and Post guard Zubac. This can bring out the value of Green's help defense, which is of great help to us."

Replacing Podger in the original starting lineup with a space center was a change the Warriors made in the game against the Nuggets. Now this has become an option for the Warriors to start, but considering that using Horford as a substitute can better control playing time, the candidate for the starting center became Post.

Assisting defense is the core factor that makes the Clippers' offense stagnant in this game. More accurately, it can be summarized as: applying pressure from the strong side, stacking people in the middle, and testing the weak side's response.

The core reason for the Clippers' defeat in this game was precisely the response from the weak side and the subsequent series of vicious cycles. The appalling number of assists and three-point efficiency can explain everything. Development cannot be converted into finishes, and passing cannot be converted into assists. Powell's departure, Bill's injury, Bogdan's slump, and the collective inaccuracy on the outside are all the reasons for this phenomenon.

Using Bogdan attempts to replace Bill's "ecological niche" and pursue a theoretical weak-side response, but does not take into account the status of the players who have just returned and the risk of secondary injuries (have you not absorbed the lessons of the preseason?). Then in the second half, we had to correct mistakes on the spot and adjust the starting lineup. More importantly, due to his poor state, Bogdan is unable to provide the weak-side response and spatial support that exist under ideal circumstances. It exposed the Clippers' strategic deployment and rotation of personnel that were too idealistic.

But in addition to the weak-side response, the Clippers' past defense against the Warriors also focused on Harden Zubac's pick-and-roll midfield attack and Zubac's heavy inside attack.

But there is a trade-off. The Warriors used Post to expand their size, and Zubac's overall condition has not been at his best since the start of the game. This is one of them.

Secondly, the Warriors' accumulation of people in the middle will naturally cause the ball to be transmitted more to the outside. Therefore, the effect of Zubac's inside hammer during the pick-and-roll will naturally weaken. In this game, the way Zubac demonstrated his value as an "inside monster" on the offensive end was mainly reflected in the plunder of offensive rebounds.

Third (this can be considered an extension of the second point), the Warriors and Dream Chasers will use some defensive strategies to cleverly resolve the crisis of being penetrated by Zubac through the basket.

For example, in this round, Postkumika defended Harden's pick-and-roll and used ICE. Dream Chaser directly left Bogdan to perform a "Peel Switch" to help his teammates wipe their butts. This is essentially the Warriors' emphasis on strong-side defense and the disrespect and test of the Clippers' weak-side response.

Horford executed a defense switch. While Da Luo was trying to get a position in the penalty area before Payton was misplaced, Butler and Payton had already completed the "scram switch" to resolve the "crisis."

The lack of offensive firepower on the weak side means that the Clippers' offense must rely more on star development + finishing. In the first half, Harden was more responsible for this task, and the 20 points in the half also hid the Clippers' shame to a certain extent.

But the negative effect of development + finishing, plus 20 minutes of playing time, is the decline in touch after physical exhaustion in the second half. Leonard tried to shoulder more of the main offensive tasks (the opening of the second half has also been a common habit of his for many seasons), but after successfully challenging Butler in the opening, the offensive success rate also declined significantly. In the case of insufficient firepower on the weak side, when the star's success rate in developing and completing one-shoulder picks is reduced due to physical exertion, he also presents a dilemma of 14 points in a single quarter in the third quarter.

The weak-side response was poor - relying on the core's overall ability - the core physical fitness was thunderous - leaving the game early to rest to prepare for the fourth quarter decisive battle - Jones + 4 substitutes and losing 8 points in about 3 minutes - giving up directly in the fourth quarter when the momentum was over, a complete vicious cycle.

Obviously, the Warriors' strategic game on the defensive end of this game was a complete victory. They "gambled" on the Clippers' lack of weak-side response in this game. The overall defensive arrangement was effective and also brought down the physical fitness of the Clippers' core. Some friends began to miss Brother Bao very much. Lu and Leonard specifically mentioned Bill after the game. The root cause is essentially the nostalgia and desire for the offensive firepower of the weak side. But for Clippers fans, what they can comfort themselves is: the team cannot shoot 18% of three-pointers every game, and it is difficult for the "Jones" to respond to weak-side open shots consistently. Although Bill's absolute shooting skills and containment are not as good as Brother Bao, under normal circumstances, the efficiency of receiving three-pointers and fixed-point offense is still very decent.