SAN FRANCISCO – Somewhere beneath the frequent chatter related to the Warriors’ relatively elderly core, there is a quieter concern about their roster.
They’re still small by NBA standards. They don’t have a classic rim protector in the mold of ex-Warrior Andrew Bogut or, in today’s game, Victor Wembanyama or Walker Kessler. All three stand at least 7 feet.
Golden State must find a way to offset that deficiency, and the logical start is by strengthening its point-of-attack defense. If your defense lacks a natural deterrent, closing the freeway to the rim becomes imperative.
That message is being delivered to all the guards and wings on the roster, particularly those not named Stephen Curry. It’s on the minds of Moses Moody, Gary Payton II, Brandin Podziemski, Jonathan Kuminga and rookie Will Richard. Same applies to De’Anthony Melton, who won’t be active until November at the soonest. There is depth within the team’s backcourt defenders.
Moody, who at times last season filled that role, seems energized by the prospect of expanding his opportunities.
“It really let me know how fun it is,” he said Friday, referring to last season’s trial. “I really enjoyed picking up high, bothering the ball, reaching when I can. There’s just a feeling to it. As a kid I used to love to wrestle . . . it just kind of feels like that when I’m chasing guys around, grabbing trying to get the ball. It just kind of takes me back there, and I like it. It’s fun.”
At 6-foot-5, with a 7-foot wingspan, Moody is well built to match up with the likes of such dangerous ballhandling scorers as Oklahoma City Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Minnesota Timberwolves’ Anthony Edwards and James Harden of the LA Clippers.
Payton, 32, concedes that his athleticism has diminished a bit over the years, but realizes on-ball defense is the greatest asset he can brings to the Warriors.
“I probably wouldn’t be here without it,” he told NBC Sports Bay Area on Friday. “It wasn’t so I’m pretty sure I got to keep that ‘on lock’ and just cause havoc. I know I’m not same athletic guy I used to be a few years ago. But when it gets down to the crunch time, gets down to April and beyond, I can still do it. They can look to me to guard that guy.”
There were numerous games last season when the Warriors built substantial leads, only to get cooked down the stretch, with opposing guards doing most of the torching. There also were games when the Warriors simply couldn’t compete with teams that bullied them at the rim.
In the Warriors’ final game of the season, Game 5 of the Western Conference semifinals at Minnesota, they gave up a whopping 72 point the paint. Golden State was minus-22 in the paint.
It’s conceivable that whoever starts the season sharing the backcourt with Stephen Curry will be the primary point-of-attack defender. With Melton out of action, coach Steve Kerr could follow a game-by-game matchup plan until someone seizes the role. Could be Moody or Payton. Podziemski, who makes up for what he lacks in athleticism with persistence, is another potential option.
He was prone to fouls last season – too much reaching – and his plaintive complaints to officials often led to lapses in focus. This was pointed out by Kerr as an issue the third-year guard must control to continue his development.
“The big thing to show another leap would be emotional maturity,” Podziemski said this week. “Talking to the refs is included in that. But, just keeping a composure about myself so that my teammates see that.”
The Warriors will have defenders on the back line. Al Horford, Draymond Green, Jimmy Butler III in the starting lineup, with Trayce Jackson-Davis and Quentin Post coming off the bench. Post is 7-feet but lacks the instincts and athleticism to be a consistently effective rim protector.
Golden State’s defense will rise and fall with the ability of its point-of-attack defenders to limit penetration. Kerr has several candidates, mostly young and spirited, and he might have to use them all.
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