High-flying Bucks pose test Warriors haven't allowed 100 points this season By Geoff Lepper, STAFF WRITER MILWAUKEE ? It's a classic NBA battle, exactly the kind of thing the Warriors thought they'd be involved in all season, with a top-five offense going head-to-head against a similarly ranked defense. Here's the twist: When tip-off arrives in Milwaukee's Bradley Center tonight, it will the Bucks, not the Warriors, who come in with the second-most prolific scoring machine, at 110.7 points per game. And, shockingly, it's the Warriors who are allowing only 89.7 points per game, a figure good enough to be tied for fifth among NBA teams. In three games, Golden State has not allowed the opposition to reach triple digits, something that happened 42 times last season, when the Warriors ranked 24th in points allowed, at 100.9 per game. What in the name of Larry Smith is going on here? "In this league, any time you hold a team under 100 points, it's a good thing, plain and simple," said Warriors center Adonal Foyle, who's tied for eighth in the league at 2.7 blocks per game. "When we're able to do that on a consistent basis, I think that'll make us a better team overall." While coach Mike Montgomery points out there are still lapses and inconsistencies ? "Greg Ostertag on a lob, c'mon," he said, bemoaning an alley-oop dunk completed by the Utah Jazz's 280-pound (at least) center on Friday. "I think he last got one about 10 years ago" ? he will say that the team is improving on defense. "I think, in general, our understanding of what we're trying to do is better," Montgomery said. "But it's going to take a long time." Time is one thing on the Warriors' side at this point. Since all of the players, except the rookies, were with the club last season, there's a better understanding of what Montgomery and his staff want on the defensive end. "We're definitely making an effort. But it's early on. We're still developing an identity," Mike Dunleavy said. "It's the same group of guys, we know what we're trying to get done. It's a lot of the same rules and principles, the same coaching staff. So we're a year older with everything, and that helps." One of the keys for the Warriors has been putting solid pressure on ballhandlers on the perimeter and trusting teammates to cover with a good rotation if the opponent breaks free. Golden State has forced an average of 19.3 turnovers per game, fourth-best in the NBA. Their turnover differential, 3.33 in their favor, is also fourth-best in he league. Sunday, outside of a brief third-quarter flurry, Knicks point guard Stephon Marbury was kept rather neatly in check. He finished with 15 points, a far cry from the 24 and 31 he dropped on Golden State last season. "I think we're starting to achieve that," Foyle said of the trust level. "The other thing that that leads to is, if we can get teams to take bad shots and we get rebounds, then we can run. That's one thing we've wanted to do more of. So we have an incentive to play better defense because it leads to better offense." STOTTS IN SIGHT: The Warriors won't have to look far tonight to locate their biggest departure of the summer. Terry Stotts, who spent last season as Mike Montgomery's lead assistant, is now the Bucks' head coach. "Everybody's happy for him," Dunleavy said. "He's just a nice guy. You look forward to seeing somebody like that who you've worked with in the past." This is Stotts' 13th season working in the NBA, but only his second chance at the top spot. He took over the Atlanta Hawks from Lon Krueger in December 2002 and lasted a season and a half, compiling a 58-91 record before being let go. "It was obvious that he deserved (another chance)," Dunleavy said. "I thought for what he had in Atlanta, he did a pretty nice job, and then with Milwaukee, he's got some talented players, and he knows how to use guys. "They're going to be a really good team. He's an outstanding coach. He's been around the league a while. He knows the league, he knows how to coach a team, he knows how to run plays and he knows how to defend teams, so that's a big advantage." As for the Bucks' 3-0 start, Montgomery simply ran down the names of starters Milwaukee added through various means over prior to opening night: forward/center Andrew Bogut (draft), center Jamaal Magloire (trade), forward Bobby Simmons (free agent) and point guard T.J. Ford (return from season-ending injury). "It's no mystery," Montgomery said. "You look at their roster, and you go, 'Wait a minute here, they're pretty dang good.' They've added four starters to that team, and that's pretty impressive. They made all the right off-season moves." http://www.insidebayarea.com/warriors/ci_3193982
Nice article. Thanks for posting. The defense and turnover ratio is a pleasant surprise, but I don't see it holding its place in the upper echelon of the NBA ranks too long.
The Bucks really turned it around by upgrading their big men. They've always had the guards (TJ Ford before the spinal re-injury was pretty awesome, Redd is an awesome scorer, Desmond Mason was solid and consistent). Imagine Bogut or Magloire on the same floor together. That might be pretty darn scary since either one could play either power forward or center. I think the Bucks could spell trouble for the Warriors because they've got the inside presence and they've got a speedy playmaker who is healthy this year.
Agreed. I would be very happy if the W's pull out a win. In fact, it would be really big if they did. This is their first challenge of the year on the road. If they can cool down a hot team,that would do wonders for the rest of the week. GO WARRIORS!!!
