There's an obvious common denominator behind the Warriors' last two games. The first contest saw Golden State win by nine while the second saw them fall by ten.
Despite varying results, both games featured virtually non-existent defense from the Warriors. They gave up 130 points on average with the difference simply being that they scored more against the Wizards while they couldn't keep pace with the Clippers.
After the Clippers loss, Draymond Green harped on the lack of defensive intensity the team is dealing with right now. While it's a team-wide issue, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr also singled out Jordan Poole for not locking in at all times. To him, it's not a question of Poole's physical abilities but rather focus and engagement that's the problem with the young guard, via The Athletic's Anthony Slater:
“He has a tendency, like a lot of players, to lose focus from time to time,” Steve Kerr said of Jordan Poole. “But he’s getting better. When he’s really taking on the challenge when people are putting him in pick-and-roll, he’s strong, he’s athletic. He can do the job.”
“Jordan is our starting point guard,” Kerr said. “He’s going to be guarding the ball quite a bit. I thought last night (against the Wizards) he let his guard down a little bit, picked it up in the second half and we made a run. His defense is always going to be crucial in determining who wins the game.”
The Warriors have long been known for their exciting offense with Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson splashing threes while Draymond Green keeps the machine running with his passing. But their defense has played just as big of a part in all their championship runs. Jordan Poole's offensive talent isn't in question. As soon as he buys in on the other end, he'll likely have a much brighter future ahead of him.
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