Playoff Pushes: Warriors on the Rise & Pistons' Secret Weapon
03/21/25 • 73 min
Golden State's transformation under Jimmy Butler has been nothing short of remarkable. Since the trade deadline, the Warriors have posted a league-best 16-3 record while completely redefining their offensive identity. Once reliant almost exclusively on three-point shooting, they've morphed into a free-throw generating machine, jumping from 27th to 4th in fouls drawn per possession.
The beautiful synergy between Butler and Curry demonstrates how complementary styles can elevate a team's ceiling. While Curry continues his perpetual motion offense (running off 416 off-ball screens since Butler's arrival - more than anyone else in the league), Butler attacks downhill, creating scoring opportunities through contact. The result? Butler is posting a historic 121.7 points per 100 possessions in isolation since joining Golden State.
Meanwhile, Cade Cunningham has quietly developed one of the league's most devastating post games. Among players with over 100 post-ups this season, he leads everyone in efficiency at 126.8 points per 100 possessions - reminiscent of prime Shaq numbers. What makes his post game especially dangerous is his vision, passing out of the post at a league-high 23% clip and finding shooters like Malik Beasley for open threes.
The playoff picture continues to evolve with fascinating storylines emerging across the league. The Lakers have established themselves as an elite defensive unit since mid-January. The Timberwolves remain the ultimate chaos team, capable of beating or losing to anyone on any night. Denver shows concerning signs despite Jokić's continued brilliance. And under-the-radar players like Jared Allen, Keon Ellis, and Payton Pritchard could become X-factors when the postseason intensity ratchets up.
With just three weeks until playoff basketball, now's the time to follow closely as rotations tighten and strategies crystallize. Subscribe to Front Runner Podcast Collective for comprehensive playoff coverage and check out our website for our expanding NBA draft evaluations covering 60 prospects.
Golden State's transformation under Jimmy Butler has been nothing short of remarkable. Since the trade deadline, the Warriors have posted a league-best 16-3 record while completely redefining their offensive identity. Once reliant almost exclusively on three-point shooting, they've morphed into a free-throw generating machine, jumping from 27th to 4th in fouls drawn per possession.
The beautiful synergy between Butler and Curry demonstrates how complementary styles can elevate a team's ceiling. While Curry continues his perpetual motion offense (running off 416 off-ball screens since Butler's arrival - more than anyone else in the league), Butler attacks downhill, creating scoring opportunities through contact. The result? Butler is posting a historic 121.7 points per 100 possessions in isolation since joining Golden State.
Meanwhile, Cade Cunningham has quietly developed one of the league's most devastating post games. Among players with over 100 post-ups this season, he leads everyone in efficiency at 126.8 points per 100 possessions - reminiscent of prime Shaq numbers. What makes his post game especially dangerous is his vision, passing out of the post at a league-high 23% clip and finding shooters like Malik Beasley for open threes.
The playoff picture continues to evolve with fascinating storylines emerging across the league. The Lakers have established themselves as an elite defensive unit since mid-January. The Timberwolves remain the ultimate chaos team, capable of beating or losing to anyone on any night. Denver shows concerning signs despite Jokić's continued brilliance. And under-the-radar players like Jared Allen, Keon Ellis, and Payton Pritchard could become X-factors when the postseason intensity ratchets up.
With just three weeks until playoff basketball, now's the time to follow closely as rotations tighten and strategies crystallize. Subscribe to Front Runner Podcast Collective for comprehensive playoff coverage and check out our website for our expanding NBA draft evaluations covering 60 prospects.
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Young Houston Rockets: The Sabrina Carpenter of the NBA!!!
The NBA landscape is shifting rapidly with front office disasters, historic performances, and unexpected dominance across the league.
• Dallas Mavericks front office catastrophe with defensive rating plummeting to 29th in the league (126.4)
• Mavs going 1-7 over their last 8 games with opponent field goal percentage at 50.7%
• Quentin Grimes thriving after being traded away (16.8 points, 39.8% from three)
• Mikhail Bridges adjusting to his role with the Knicks (17.5 points, career-worst 118.3 defensive rating)
• Josh Hart tying Walt Frazier's Knicks franchise record for triple-doubles
• Obi Toppin's incredible overtime performance against Minnesota earning highest praise from Rick Carlisle
• CJ McCollum's struggles (1-15 shooting) during Pelicans' worst loss in franchise history
• Minnesota Timberwolves and Houston Rockets on impressive winning streaks
• NBA draft prospects to watch: Con Knipple (Duke) and Rashear Fleming (St. Joe's)
Check out our comprehensive NBA draft prospect evaluations at https://frpcpodcastpage.io - in the blog section, currently featuring 45 players with plans to expand to 60.
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Next Episode
Bulls Rising: Chicago's Unlikely Future Takes Shape
The Chicago Bulls have become an unexpected source of excitement in the NBA's Eastern Conference, winning five of their last six games despite being caught in basketball purgatory – neither tanking nor contending.
At the center of this revival is Josh Giddy, whose "silk pajamas" smooth passing and improved shooting (37.9% from three) have transformed Chicago's offense. Though his 23.7% turnover rate in clutch situations raises concerns, his vision and playmaking have energized the entire team. Meanwhile, Matas Buzelis has emerged as a confident, athletic force with growing chemistry with Giddy, showcasing the kind of swagger coaches love to see in young players.
Perhaps the biggest beneficiary of Zach LaVine's departure has been Kobe White, who's averaging 24.6 points on 61.3% true shooting while hitting 39.2% from three. Chicago now ranks third in pace league-wide, with their transition points jumping from 12.3 to 18.7 per 100 possessions. Though finishing at the rim and on-ball defense remain areas for improvement, White has become a legitimate offensive engine with what scout notes call "a diet De'Aaron Fox plus Jamal Crawford handle."
Elsewhere in the East, Orlando continues to rely on suffocating defense (second in NBA) despite offensive limitations, while Miami appears "dead man walking" amid rumors of locker room discord. In the West, Oklahoma City's pairing of Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein has created "the most dominant defensive frontcourt nobody's talking about," posting a +14.2 net rating in 204 minutes together and potentially solving the Thunder's size issues from last postseason.
From Giannis Antetokounmpo's 32-point explosion against Sacramento to Andrew Wiggins' resurgent 42-point game for Golden State, individual performances continue to shape the playoff race as teams jockey for position heading into the season's final weeks.
Join the conversation on X @frontrunnerpc and subscribe to our YouTube channel for more NBA insights, polls, and analysis as we break down everything happening around the league.
Chapters:
- 0:00
- Podcast Introduction and Cooper Flagg NBA Potential
- 11:13
- Chicago Bulls' Recent Success Analysis
- 40:00
- Heat and Magic Eastern Play-In Battle
- 52:15
- Around the Arc: NBA Teams Updates
- 1:01:10
- Off the Bounce: Giannis and Wiggins Explosions
- 1:11:55
- OKC Thunder's Defensive Frontcourt Dominance
- 1:18:01
- Closing Thoughts on Cavaliers and Show Wrap
Front Runner Podcast Collective - Playoff Pushes: Warriors on the Rise & Pistons' Secret Weapon
Transcript
what's up , hoot world , welcome to front runner podcast collective . I am your humble host , vince . It is friday , march 21st , and we are officially three weeks out from the playoffs .
VinceI've got notes on playoff pushes , storylines , breakdowns of how the Warriors quietly become a free throw machine . Kay Cunningham is running the post like 200
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