Warriors win Game 1 against the Pelicans 106-99. I was thinking this was going to be a five-game series — or certainly on the short side — and nothing happened on Saturday that made me think any differently.
I had a chance to discuss some of the big topics coming out of Game 1 with John Dickinson on our Sunday NBA Show. Here’s a link to that:
Here are some of the topics we discussed:
*** The Warriors are going to have it much tougher closing out games in the postseason — and that’s to be expected. The opposition is going to play its starters a longer period of time, which means there are times when Golden State’s subs are going to be playing against higher-caliber units. That’s going to naturally tighten up games.
*** Too much was made of Stephen Curry’s ability to get to the rim in Game 1. Curry’s the greatest shooter in the game and his range is unlimited. It’s simply unrealistic to think you’re going to be able to both heckle on the perimeter but yet not give up occasional drives.
***Omer Asik simply might not be good enough to play in this series, or at least a meaningful role in it. In a matchup against Andrew Bogut, Asik is going to lose that one most of the time. Bogut is a much more skilled basketball player than Asik and it was noticeable in Game 1.
*** We saw New Orleans employ “Hack-An-Iguodala” in Game 1 and he went 2-for-4 when that happened. It’s only a matter of time before “Hack-A-Bogut” enters the series. Particularly after Bogut air-balled one of his two misses on Saturday. Foul shooting may be a concern for the Warriors because their two best foul shooters — Curry and Klay Thompson — don’t get to the line a ton. And when you get past those two, there’s no really sure thing: Bogut, Iguodala, Draymond Green and Harrison Barnes.
Dickinson and I discuss these and many other things on the show.
***If you want to hear more Steinmetz, you can download the Sal and Steiny Podcast on ITunes at:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/sal-steiny-show-podcast/id949773587
Matt Steinmetz 