This was often mentioned as a reason the Warriors would not win their fourth championship in eight seasons. The thought-process was simple: Golden State would need more of an interior presence, particularly on defense, to counter high-level big men in the playoffs.
But as the Warriors enter Game 6 of the NBA Finals at TD Garden on Thursday night with a chance to hoist another Larry O’Brien trophy, they are just fine with their lack of size. In its three wins this series, Golden State has held the Celtics to an average of 93 points – quite the feat when one considers that, to win the Eastern Conference, Boston failed to score at least 100 points only twice in 20 games.
Instead of relying on lumbering 7-footers to patrol the paint and block shots, the Warriors have stayed alert in their assignments, blanketed shooters one-on-one and made the Celtics uncomfortable. Golden State is up 3-2 in these Finals because it has scored 103 points off Boston’s 78 turnovers – the third-most points off turnovers through the first five games of a Finals since 1990.
The Celtics have given the ball away on 16.3% of their possessions, which is devastating for a couple of reasons. It’s not just that Boston is not giving itself a chance to score a sixth of the time. By feasting on live-ball turnovers, the Warriors have gotten easy looks in transition.
“They’re a really good defensive team,” Celtics guard Jaylen Brown said. “Disciplined and sound. They’ve forced us to do what obviously we do not do best. ”
The Celtics are 0-7 in these playoffs when they turn it over at least 16 times, yet 14-2 when they stay under that number. This trend is part of why Warriors head coach Steve Kerr switched up his defensive scheme this series.
In the Western Conference finals against Dallas, Golden State oscillated between coverages, unleashing a mix of zones to keep Luka Doncic off-kilter. It worked. Unable to find much of a rhythm, Doncic posted a plus-minus or minus-60 in five games against the Warriors.
But given that the Celtics are mistake prone and not as reliant on a single player as the Mavericks are, Kerr has traded in the wonky zone coverages for more man-to-man. It hardly matters that the Warriors do not boast a prototypical rim protector like Boston’s Robert Williams III. Golden State is loaded with long, savvy defenders who understand the importance of spacing, angles and player tendencies.
With Draymond Green organizing the back line and helping where needed, the Warriors have been sound in their rotations. Green, Gary Payton II and Andrew Wiggins have excelled at forcing Boston’s Brown and Jayson Tatum to their left – a tactical emphasis that has caused numerous turnovers.
The Warriors’ collective defensive IQ has made it tough for the Celtics to exploit mismatches. Early in the second quarter of Game 5, Brown hunted a screen so Jordan Poole – Golden State’s weakest defender – had to switch onto him. As soon as Brown started to drive toward the rim, Green immediately left Williams in the corner to help Poole. Though Brown got past Poole with ease, he struggled with Green’s length, missing a layup as he fell to the floor.
This sequence reinforced one of Warriors assistant Mike Brown’s defensive philosophies: a 6-foot-6 forward with his hands straight up can often be just as effective at altering a shot as a 7-foot center. It’s more about timing and awareness than size.
When Brown took over as defensive coordinator last summer, he told general manager Bob Myers that Golden State did not necessarily need a rim protector. The numbers suggest Brown was right. Even though center James Wiseman did not play a game because of a stalled knee rehab, the Warriors finished the regular season second only to Boston in defensive rating.
“Mike Brown has been amazing in terms of re-establishing the importance of that side of basketball, from training camp to now,” guard Stephen Curry said. “Not letting anybody slip up in terms of accountability on that end of the floor.”
In the first three rounds of the playoffs, Golden State’s persistent approach was good enough for it to get by Denver, Memphis and Dallas. Now, fully healthy and in tune with one another, the Warriors have raised an intriguing question: Are they the best defense in the league?
That title has belonged to the Celtics for months, but Boston only vaulted ahead of the Warriors in the analytical rankings when Green missed extended time with a lower-back injury. Outside of Poole, Golden State does not have a bad defender.
Green, Wiggins and Payton are varying levels of elite. Though still not the same perimeter stopper he was pre-injuries, Klay Thompson has flashed the instincts and effort that once made him an All-Defensive Team selection. Kevon Looney, Otto Porter Jr. and Nemanja Bjelica make up for middling athleticism by seldom being in the wrong spot on the floor. Even Curry is above average defensively.
If the Warriors win another NBA title in coming days, analysts will give the offense much of the credit. But to get this far, Golden State had to do what some thought was impossible: survive playoff series after playoff series with no one taller than 6-9.
Consider it the Warriors’ latest contribution to the NBA’s small-ball revolution.
“The key to our game is defense,” Kerr said. “That’s what it takes to win a Finals game. It’s got to be about the defense. ”
Connor Letourneau is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: cletourneau@sfchronicle.com. Twitter: @Con_Chron