Q&A with Blue Man Hoop: Celtics at Warriors

The Boston Celtics are in Golden State on Friday to take on the Warriors on national TV, here is a special Q&A with the editors at Blue Man Hoop

The Boston Celtics will travel to take on the Golden State Warriors on Friday night as they try to do something no team has been able to do this season, beat the Warriors at home. This will be the perfect chance for the Celtics to showcase themselves on national TV before the playoffs start. It will also be a chance for them to redeem their poor showing against the Utah Jazz in their last game on ESPN.

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The Warriors are on pace to win the most games in a season in NBA history, while Boston is still in a tight playoff race.

Boston is coming off a hard-fought game against the Portland Trailblazers last night as the Golden State Warriors had a day of rest yesterday after their overtime win over the Utah Jazz. Tired legs are something you can’t have against the Warriors as they’re easily able to exploit it.

I got the opportunity to sit down and talk with Alex Rahrig and Carlos Murillo about the upcoming game tonight. Both Rahrig and Murillo are editors at Blue Man Hoop, a FanSided site dedicated to the Golden State Warriors.

Alright, so the obvious question, who would win between the 2015-16 Golden State Warriors and 1995-96 Chicago Bulls?

Carlos Murillo: The homer in me wants to shout YES from the mountaintops, but the realist in me is whispering “we’ll never know.” If we could magically bring those Bulls into the year 2016, I think the Warriors would have a very good shot. I think the Warriors’ depth would be key because let’s be honest: Shaun Livingston is going to get anything he wants with Steve Kerr on him. The Warriors would treat Michael Jordan much like they did LeBron James in the Finals—let him have a side to himself and throw help defense if he drives. I do think Golden State’s shooting would be too much for the Bulls because, simply put, 3 is greater than 2.

Very nice take on the fictional matchup. Now about the game, what’s the key to at least trying to slow down Steph Curry?

Alex Rahrig: To quote LeBron James, “You can’t slow down Steph Curry.” While the man is insane and a real pain to go against, there are ways to slow him down, but it isn’t easy. If you remember the Finals last year, the Cavaliers made the other shooters on the Warriors beat you. Essentially pressure him early and get the ball out of his hands. Now, that can be dangerous as well because of his ability to set up other for plays. You can’t try to take him on one-on-one. Curry is a patient guy and won’t make mistakes often. No one handles pressure better than him. That means if you’re going to make him turn the ball over, you have to pressure him and be physical with him for a full 48. Think of Jordan Rules here. It’s not going to be easy because he’s still going to have a great game, but it takes 48 minutes of pounding him as much as possible.

He certainly is having an insane season. It’s always fun to watch him. Curry isn’t the only star on this team though. The Warriors are so well-rounded, what are their weaknesses?

CM: The Warriors’ most glaring weaknesses are internal rather than something that can be pinpointed and attacked. This sounds extremely arrogant, but to be quite honest, their biggest problem is that they get bored. This team is so good that it seems like they just go through the motions at times, turn it on for a few minutes, then cruise to a double digit victory. In a more real sense, they’re sometimes too dependent on Steph Curry and they can’t really muster any offense when he’s off the floor.

I have noticed that in the team. Either way, they’ve found a way to make it work. So, we all know about Curry, Thompson, and Green. But who is someone that Celtics’ fans might not know but should keep their eye on?

AR: Ian Clark. He doesn’t always see a ton of minutes, but he just has a knack for making one or two big plays when he gets in the game like Wednesday night, when the Warriors escaped the Jazz with an overtime victory. He’s become a fan favorite and he’s a guy that seems to be able to answer the call when called upon.

Now the question of the hour, who’s winning tonight?

CM: I’m never going to vote against this team, but Boston does have a good shot at stealing this. It took a ridiculous performance by Draymond Green to outlast Boston in 2OT. It’s pretty clear that the Warriors are tired. If Boston comes out with a lot of energy early, they could force the Warriors into some lazy turnovers and sloppy play. I’m still going to take the Warriors because conventional wisdom says choose the historic team and the squad that has Steph Curry.

Next: Boston Celtics Draft Profile: Jaylen Brown

A big thanks go out to Alex Rahrig and Carlos Murillo for being willing to do a Q&A for this game. The Celtics and Warriors are set to square off at 10:30 ET tomorrow night. You can check out my Q&A about the Celtics on Blue Man Hoop.

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