4. Can they improve defensively, especially in the midrange?
While the Golden State Warriors’ breathtaking offense has been celebrated to the highest degree, much attention should also be paid to their defensive prowess. When the Dubs brought home the bacon in 2015, 2017, and 2022, they ranked either first or second in defensive rating. Though they were the 11th-best team in this regard in 2018, the scoring juggernaut that was Finals MVP Kevin Durant more than made up for their defensive shortcomings.
In the 2022-23 season, the Warriors were 14th in defensive rating—quite literally a middling team on that end of the floor. In particular, they were torched on a nightly basis from the midrange. The Dubs were 17th in opponents’ field goal percentage from 15-19 feet, as well as a miserable 26th from 10-14 feet.
In all likelihood, that flaw has been highlighted in every scouting report on the Warriors in the early stages of this season. It’s also quite poetic that the midrange game could be fully weaponized against a team that has thrived on the holy trinity of analytics (threes, layups, free throws). Can the Warriors make the necessary adjustments to avoid being targeted in this specific area of the floor?