The Golden State Warriors are at home tonight, on the first leg of a back-to-back against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
OKC has been on a roll all season, but has looked more human after back-to-back losses to the San Antonio Spurs, followed by a now three-game winning streak.
Draymond Green is out tonight, but that may be a blessing in disguise for Golden State.
More on-ball decision-making from Jimmy Butler, and with Stephen Curry listed as questionable, it’ll be a Butler-led coalition looking to take down OKC tonight.
OKC is 2-0 this season against the Warriors
Golden State has won five of their last six games, finally finding their footing after a grueling stretch to start this season.
The Warriors have the third-best defensive rating in the league and must be on the same page against a Thunder team built to exploit any and every team’s weaknesses.
Led by the reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, they’ve already beaten the Warriors twice this season by double digits, asserting their dominance inside and capitalizing on costly Warriors turnovers.
OKC boasts the best net rating in the league, and for the Warriors to conquer the defending champs, it’ll require a high level of discipline and dedication.
It’s time for Green to come off the bench
This game may be even more winnable without Draymond playing, as he has fallen off a cliff in every aspect.
He has the league’s highest turnover rate, which drags down what could be a more potent offense in Golden State.
Pair that with the fact that he’s left wide open, posing no threat to the defense on the perimeter or in the post, and his predictable style of play, as his scoring ability declines, has completely stunted the Warriors’ offense.
This may be a change for the better tonight against OKC.
Without Green, not only does that open up the floor more, as more respectful scorers will be in his place, but putting the ball in the hands of Butler over Green only raises the ceiling of how good the Warriors’ offense can be.
The Warriors must prove they still can get it done
This is a great test for the Warriors tonight as a team looking to prove they still belong in contending conversations.
Curry averaged 30.1 points per game in December, still showing his all-world ability to be the number one scoring option at this stage of his career.
Being in never-before-seen territory, and to cap this tremendous season off with the ultimate prize is still within striking distance for the Warriors.
A victory tonight means a trend in the right direction, and changes for the better are on the horizon.
