NEW ORLEANS -- Anthony Davis cooked Golden State’s defense and offense for much of this series, or so it seemed. The young superstar was great -- averaging 31.5 points, 10.8 boards, 3.0 blocks. Not only was he statistically productive, but he was defensively disruptive. Davis ran back to ruin countless Golden State fast breaks, and he constantly haunted the perimeter as Stephen Curry probed for a shot.
And yet, it all ended in a sweep after a 109-98 Game 4 finale, in large part because of the tag-team effort Curry and Draymond Green put on the wondrous Anthony Davis.
Yes, Curry had a role in quelling the athletic big man, crazy as that sounds. It’s because the aforementioned ways Davis attempted to disrupt Curry had costs attached. Running back to stop fast breaks meant fewer offensive rebounds. Tracking Curry along the 3-point arc meant fewer defensive rebounds. And in the two games in which Pelicans coach Monty Williams played his superstar over 45 minutes, Davis wore down significantly toward the end.
The Pelicans played the Warriors tough, and they were, as Warriors coach Steve Kerr said after the game, a “great test.” But Golden State was more than fine with the Pelicans' attempts to control Curry. The Warriors actually wanted Davis hounding their best player. At the podium, Curry explained, “We had a couple sets we tried to get him away from the basket so that we could attack the paint or get easier shots.”
When asked Wednesday if Golden State wanted Davis off the perimeter, Andrew Bogut replied, well, no. “It’s a tougher shot for Steph, but we knew if we move the ball,” Bogut said, “No. 1, they don’t have a shot-blocker down there; No. 2, they don’t have defensive rebounding.”
That’s the unseen influence of an MVP. The Pelicans, who rebounded at a healthy 51.1 percent rate this season, saw that average plummet to 45.5 percent in Curry’s floor time this series. When Curry was off the floor, New Orleans rebounded at 59.4 percent.
The threat of Curry helped win this series just as much as Curry’s actual, efficient 33.8 points per game did. Also of note: Even though New Orleans completely changed its approach to account for Curry, he still emerged a dominant offensive force. On one particular, late. fourth-quarter possession, Curry isolated on the intimidating Davis, as Kerr frantically screamed and waved for Green to get open. Curry calmly stepped back and crested a rainbow over those ladders Davis uses as limbs. All net. Just as he had done in his Game 3, game-tying 3-pointer, Curry had dramatically bested Davis’ enveloping presence. Kerr walked back to his bench, laughing hysterically.
The other major Davis-queller was Green, who was absolutely brilliant all around. The former second-round pick finished with averages of 15.8 points, 12.8 boards, 6.3 assists, 2.5 steals and 1.5 blocks, and he was probably even better than those impressive numbers would suggest. For much of the series, Green guarded Davis. And for much of the series, it looked like Davis was unfazed.
Defense, though, is about shifting the odds in your favor, sometimes subtly. Per 36 minutes, with Green on the floor, Davis shot roughly 5 percent worse, scored 5 fewer points and had 2 fewer assists and 8 fewer boards. Small-sample-size caveats abound, but the Green effect made sense if you watched the leader in first-place Defensive Player of the Year votes deny Davis entry passes and push him out of the paint. As for the rebounds, Green, like Curry, factored into diminishing Davis on the glass. Davis primarily guarded Green this series, meaning that he had to hang around the perimeter, away from board opportunities.
In totality, the Warriors proved versatile enough to swivel around a generational talent’s strengths. This might prove more difficult as Davis grows into his game, but Golden State has other issues on the agenda right now. They’re likely to play Memphis (up 3-0 against Portland) in their next series.
The Grizzlies certainly present some challenges to the Warriors, with their size and perimeter defense. That might be a difficult matchup for the Dubs, but if their series against New Orleans is illustrative, the Warriors are powerful and adaptable enough to handle difficult conditions.