Warriors Forcing Kawhi Leonard Into Iso Plays Will Doom the Raptors
By Zack Jiang
Kawhi Leonard has carried the Raptors this postseason, and is ultimately the key to their success. When they needed him the most he has always delivered. But if the team wants to have a real shot at dethroning the Golden State Warriors, they need to find a way to curate some fluid ball movement-- because relying on Kawhi over and over again on isolation plays is destined to fail.
The Warriors know that Kawhi is the prime mover for Toronto, and have systematically forced him to try to beat them via unassisted iso situations. So far, it has been working in their favor.
The "KawhIso" isn't gonna cut it
— Sound Cloud Van Damme (@RealFakeSamDunn) June 3, 2019
h/t @ESPNStatsInfo pic.twitter.com/TKm9u1ASqH
The Warriors were more than happy to let James Harden attempt the very same thing in their Western Conferenc Semifinals matchup; Harden was able to get his, but his play was unmoored from the rhythm of the rest of the team (arguably by design, but that's another story) and ultimately could not succeed against such a poised, intelligent defensive setup.
The key is that you can't have an inefficient offense when you're up against an explosive Warriors attack that can go off at any moment. The Raptors learned that firsthand when the Warriors busted out an 18-0 run to start the third quarter Sunday in Game 2, an outburst that proved insurmountable.
In order for Toronto to win, they need multiple offensive options, and that's predicated on moving the ball to set up efficient looks. It's how they won Game 1 despite a a 5-for-14 shooting night from Kawhi. In two games thus far, the iso play of The Klaw has led to a 38.2% field goal percentage. Compared to what he's up against on the other end, the numbers speak for themselves.
The Warriors’ 85% assist rate is their 2nd highest in a game and the 5th highest overall this season. Of Draymond Green’s team-leading 10 assists, 4 went to Steph Curry, who in turn facilitated Klay Thompson three times. Here’s their assist network: pic.twitter.com/6cIfckssQ1
— Positive Residual (@presidual) May 31, 2019
The Warriors offense could soon get another boost when Kevin Durant eventually returns. When that time comes, Toronto will need to figure out a way to outscore them. Kawhi might be able to average an iso-heavy 30 points every game if he continues to be foreced to create unassisted buckets on the dribble, but this isn't the Eastern Conference. Up against a dynasty, Nick Nurse and Co. need to innovate a solution, and quickly.