As rest of NBA plays at breakneck speed, Warriors look to pace stars

"Just playing fast is no longer enough in today's NBA, playing at a brisk pace now the default. With players skewing more and more athletic, and as long-distance shooting stretches defenses to their limit, offenses are pushing the limit on how fast they can play. Twenty-two teams are playing with a pace rating of at least 100, up from 14 a year ago."

"What I'm seeing is that teams are spreading you out, playing as fast as possible and making it difficult to get to your coverages defensively, Kerr said. The faster the actions, the more difficult it is for the defense to respond. Golden State entered its home matchup with the Suns as losers of two consecutive games in the Midwest. Both Milwaukee and Indiana were missing stars against the Warriors, but made up for it by pushing the ball up and down the court."

"With his roster headlined by four players aged 35 and older, Kerr and the organization have made it a public priority to keep his stars fresh for the postseason. That involves playing at a slower pace, something the team has somewhat succeeded in, and something the Warriors' intricate halfcourt offense lends itself to. We found the balance once we got Jimmy (Butler) playing with a little more deliberatness and spacing once Jimmy got the ball, Kerr said. He's one of the best iso players in the league."

NBA offenses are accelerating as athleticism and long-distance shooting force defenses to cover more space. Twenty-two teams have pace ratings of at least 100, up from 14 last season. Faster actions make defensive coverages harder to execute and can expose defensive schemes. Golden State prioritizes keeping veteran stars fresh for the postseason by controlling pace and managing minutes. The Warriors' intricate halfcourt offense supports slower, deliberate possessions and spacing to balance isolation play. The team has used load management, resting Al Horford in several games, while Steph Curry, Draymond Green and Jimmy Butler have played every game so far.

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