Live by the three....die by the three? How the Golden State Warriors single-handedly changing basketball.

This past saturday, Golden State defeated the Houston Rockets by 35 points in a series that has the Warriors shooting their way to the NBA Finals.  This year, the Golden State Warriors finished 67-15, including  a 39-2  record at home. What separates the Warriors from the rest of their teams is their talent, depth, and philosophy. Let's take a closer look at the main attribute just named: philosophy.

Growing up playing basketball, every player has heard the phrase "you live by the three, you die by the three" at some particular point in their careers. For the most part, this phrase has stood true.  When someone's way of contributing to a team is mainly by shooting three's,  it's widely considered as both a blessing and a curse. If a player shoots and makes a lot of threes, they are very valuable because they score they possess the ability to score alot of points in fewer possessions. Who wouldn't want to score the most possible points every time you shoot the basketball!? However, if a player shoots a lot of threes and misses  majority of their attempts, they become defective to their teams. Each missed three becomes a missed chance to possibly score at least 2 points instead of 0. These missed attempts can add up throughout the duration of a game.

 

Stephen Curry 

 Golden State's style of play is based off pushing the ball up the floor quickly, and getting an open three point shot. Majority of these "open shots" are threes. Typically, teams only go so far depending on that because when players have games in which they don't play well, those threes turn into a bunch of 0 point possessions. Well, Golden State is defying that rule.  Even on off nights, they manage to knock down just enough threes to win a game. Golden State (led by the Splash Brothers , Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson)  are so good at making threes that a bad game for them can equate to an average game for most teams.


Opponents  have a hard time defending the Warriors because they differ from most teams. Usually, players that tend to drive to the basket can get roughed up and fouled hard by an opponent when attacking. This tactic used by opponents can cause players to re-consider driving to the basket. Can't really do that all the way out by the three point line. Another tactic would be to double team the star player. The problem with that is that Golden State has so many  others that can shoot the three and put up points that they would easily score points off of that tactic. So what can you really do?

As of now, no team has been able to really stop Golden State. Until the perfect counterattack is created to stop this kind of style, it's hard to imagine anyone stopping it.

NBA Saturday Preview:

First Game) Atlanta Hawks at Washington Wizards
Game 3 will be very important , but in this case, more important for the Wizards. Finding out that John Wall has 6 fractures in his hand is a huge blow to the Wizards. Wall was averaging over 12 assist per game in the 2015 playoffs.  Having the series tied at 1-1, it will be imparative that the Wizards come out with a win today. If they fail to do so, they will face the potential of going down 3-1 with a loss in Game 4. The goal for the Wizards should be to extend the series as long as they can in order to give Wall time to potentially come back. If he is unable to, their best strategy would be to  win their home games and steal at least one more game in Atlanta.


Second Game) Warriors at Memphis Grizzlies
Memphis took care of business against the Warriors in Game 2, winning in Oracle Arena. This win came with the return of Mike Conley , which will help during the rest of the series. If the Grizzlies want to have a good chance of winning the series, they too must focus on winning at home. The Warriors haven't lost many games at home, so don't expect the Warriors to lose two times in a row at home.

NBA Team Most Likely to Rise in the East: Washington Wizards

   In this year's season, many people have already crowned the Eastern conference to either the Chicago Bulls or the Cleveland Cavaliers. The return of LeBron obviously gives the Cavs a very good chance to win the East. In addition, all-stars Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving make the Cavs extremely tough on paper.  As such , the return of Derrick Rose will make a strong Bulls  team even stronger. The Bulls have even added former Lakers forward Pau Gasol to add offense to the team. So with these two teams predicted to win the East, are there any dark horses that could come from nowhere and take the east? Yes, there are. The team that we predict can do so? The Washington Wizards.

Young Studs: 

    The Wizards probably have the next generation of a great backcourt on their team. Point guard John Wall and shooting guard Bradley Beal are two very good guards that compliment each other very well. Wall is very good at penetrating and getting to the rim. Wall is best when he has the ball in his hands because it allows him to create plays.  Beal is very good at moving around WITHOUT the ball. Beal is also 40% from the three point line. Together, they have averaged close to 40 points per game. The most exciting part about this tandem is that neither player is even close to their peak. Wall is only 24, while Beal is only 21.

John Well (left) and Bradley Beal (right) via Internet

Solid Frontcourt and Depth:
  

   This offseason, the Wizards added Paul Pierce after the departure of Trevor Ariza. Pierce is entering his 17th season, and is on the decline. However, he was nicknamed "The Truth" for a reason. Piece will give the Wizards 12-15 points per game a night. The rest of the frontcourt consist of  former all-star Nene and center Marcin Gortat. Gortat averaged 13 points and 9 rebounds per game last season. Nene is off to a great start this season, averaging 17 points and 5 rebounds per game. As the season continues to proceed, look for this group to develop some great continuity with each other. The trio of players described are all selfless and willing to move the ball around. In addition, all are capable of having a 30 point night at any given time.

    While the Wizards don't exactly have the strongest bench in the NBA, they do have a few solid pieces. Guards such as Andre Miller and Martel Webster do have the ability to make an impact on a game. Forward DeJuan Blair was a nice addition as well. He will fit very well with Nene/Gortat. His energy level will help alot off of the bench. Also, look for young forward Otto Porter to only improve and get better.

Key to Success: Chemistry & Health

 
    Although the subtitle sounds like a college course, this is exactly what the Washington Wizards need in order to compete with the beast of the east. Chemistry is already pretty good, since they have 4 returning starters from last year. With time , Paul Pierce will find his role on the team, and make his full impact that way.
 
    The most important thing for them and any other team is staying healthy. As of now, they are missing shooting guard Bradley Beal due to a fracture on his wrist. As long as injuries do not carry over into the playoffs for the Wizards, look for them to be very competitive.