Blue Man Hoop
Fansided

Looking at the Golden State Warriors preseason by the numbers

By Peter O'Keefe

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 15: Jordan Poole #3 of the Golden State Warriors reacts after scoring and getting fouled on the play against the Portland Trail Blazers during the second half of their game at Chase Center on October 15, 2021 in San Francisco, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 15: Jordan Poole #3 of the Golden State Warriors reacts after scoring and getting fouled on the play against the Portland Trail Blazers during the second half of their game at Chase Center on October 15, 2021 in San Francisco, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

The Golden State Warriors finished their preseason with a 5-0 record, one of just five teams to finish with an unbeaten slate of games.

Can we expect this to continue, or is it a case of the preseason inflating fan hope? Let’s dive into the numbers to see if this Warriors system is sustainable.

1. Most three-pointers attempted (53.2)

The Dubs began their preseason campaign with an incredible 69 three-point attempts against the Blazers in the opening game.

Although they never reached those extreme heights again, they still finished with easily the most three-point attempts across the league. In fact, they shot 7.4 attempts more than the Jazz in second place.

Their average of 53.2 attempts was also an incredible 14.5 more than the team shot last season (38.7).

2. Equal second in Points Per Game (118.0)

The Warriors were equal second in scoring over the preseason, falling just 0.5 points short of the league-leading Dallas Mavericks. This is a vast improvement on last season where they ranked 12th in points per game.

Despite this, they ranked 16th in field goal percentage (44.3 percent) and 15th in three-point percentage (34.6 percent). So what can we tell from this? As previously noted, they’re going to put up a lot of threes which will ultimately be a bi-product of trying to play a fast-paced, high-tempo offense.

3. Equal first in Assists Per Game (29.8)

We know the Warriors’ best basketball prioritizes ball movement, a system they began to get back towards during the preseason.

They did average the most assists league-wide last season (27.7), however, it seemed to look different in preseason, there was a flowing style that hasn’t been seen since the dynasty years. They also led the league in assist percentage at 70.8 percent.

4. Ninth in Rebounds Per Game (47.8)

With James Wiseman still recovering from his meniscus injury, many eyes were focused on how well the Warriors would fare on the interior, and in particular the rebounding aspect of the game.

They ranked ninth over the preseason which, on the surface, isn’t too bad. However, that doesn’t necessarily paint the full picture as again, the Warriors fast-paced style allowed for more rebounding opportunities.

Their rebounding percentage of 49.4 percent, ranked 15th, gives a better indication of where they’re at. Still, this is an improvement on last season where they ranked 22nd in total rebounds and 27th in rebounding percentage.

5. Tenth in Turnovers Per Game (15.8) 

We know Steve Kerr hates his team turning the ball over, an aspect they struggled with last season where they finished 26th. They looked after the ball a lot better throughout the preseason, although the average league-wide was high given the lack of team chemistry.

Even more pleasingly, the Warriors ranked seventh in turnover percentage (14.5 percent), a mark they ranked 24th in last season. For context, the Trail Blazers ranked 30th in the preseason for total turnovers (23.5) and turnover percentage (22.1 percent).

Overall, the numbers were favorable for the Warriors, unsurprising given their record. There’s no reason why they can’t replicate similar numbers throughout the regular season.

Top 30 Golden State Warriors players in franchise history. dark. Next

Expect them to play with one of, if not the highest pace and tempo in the league, leading to an exciting brand of basketball. Given this, we should always look at the percentages when identifying statistical trends like rebounding and turnovers.

Home/Warriors News