Warriors Look For Statement Road Win In Miami

Having won their first 4 games of a season long 7 game road trip, Golden State will face their biggest challenge thus far in Miami. Entering Wednesday night’s contest, both teams have 14 wins and are off to fast starts. The World Champion Miami Heat, however, are expected to be off to a fast start and have been scrutinized for all 5 of their losses this season. As for Golden State, there have been a lot of critics and naysayers, especially because of the absence of big man Andrew Bogut. Not many people expected them to be in the situation that they currently find themselves in. This is a big opportunity to show the nation that they can be a playoff team. The ultimate task at hand for the Warriors will be defending Lebron James. No one can truly stop the 3 time MVP, you can only hope to contain him. However, like the rest of the league, Golden State lacks a physical, yet athletic presence, that can matchup with the superhuman abilities of Lebron. The Warriors will most likely turn to rookies Harrison Barnes and Draymond Green. Green has stepped up his game as of late, playing more minutes and being a key role player since Richard Jefferson went down with a calf injury. At 6′-7″ 230 lbs, Green gives the Warriors their best chance at containing Lebron. One aspect of the game that the Warriors must take advantage of is rebounding. Golden State is currently ranked 4th in the league at 45.5 rebounds per game while Miami is ranked 29th with just 38.8 per game. Playing big is not Miami’s strong point as they use true forward Chris Bosh at the center position a majority of the time. Miami beat teams with their tough defense and athleticism. When they get out in transition they cannot be stopped. Lebron James and Dwyane Wade can both be a one man fast break with 3 point weapons trailing them at every position. The recent addition of the NBA’s all time 3 point leader Ray Allen has worked out well for them. Not only does Allen get plenty of open shots, they now have someone they can go to for game winners. Allen already has 3 game winners this season, he only had 1 all of last season with the Boston Celtics. Steph Curry will look to outplay Miami’s guards, whether he is running point or coming off screens at shooting guard. Curry has been phenomenal as of late. Curry has 8 straight 20+ scoring efforts, shooting 51.7 percent from downtown during the stretch. A healthy Curry has been key to the Warriors early success this season. He has shown why the Warriors management had so much faith in him, even during his injuries stricken seasons. Offseason acquisition Jarrett Jack has also been big for Golden State, allowing Curry to move to the 2 guard and come off screens, getting more open looks. Curry and Klay Thompson have been hot from down town during the Warriors hot stretch and will need to continue shooting well in Miami to counter the Heat’s 3 point arsenal. Winning in Miami against the defending champs will not be easy, all the Warriors can do is play within themselves. They need to knock down open jumpers, rebound, and limit their own turnovers. Containing Lebron will be tough, but they can shut down everyone else around him. They need to force D. Wade into making poor decisions and taking bad shots. An off night from Wade could be the Warriors best chance at winning this game. The Warriors are 4-0 to start a road trip for the first time since the early 70′s, but making it 5-0 in Miami is an entirely different task. Tip off is at 4:30 PM Pacific Time. - Rich Peters The post Warriors Look For Statement Road Win In Miami appeared first on Bay Area Sports Nut.