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The 2017-18 NBA season was a good time for the Golden State Warriors defense. While they took a step backward from years past, they still finished ninth in the league in defensive rating.
And, when things mattered most, the Warriors defense was always there, as they led the league in defensive rating during the playoffs, with a number far better than their regular season mark, despite the increased competition.
Simply put, the Warriors were a great defensive team. So let’s relive some of their top defensive moments:
Those are some beautiful defensive plays; the kind of plays that get me very, very excited for the upcoming NBA season.
The Warriors figure to be even better defensively this year. Draymond Green’s back will hopefully be healthier, and Jacob Evans III should be an improvement over Nick Young. Jordan Bell, Damian Jones, and Kevon Looney will all be a year older and better, and DeMarcus Cousins is a bit of an upgrade over Zaza Pachulia.
For all of the brilliant scoring of Steph Curry, Kevin Durant, and Klay Thompson, this team can be truly elite defensively. And that is a joy to watch.