2018 NBA Playoffs: One Big Takeaway from the First 2 Games of Each Playoff series

#6 The Golden State Warriors have flipped the switch, and it's bad news for the rest of the league

The Warriors have ratcheted up the onus on defense and it is paying dividends

In their last regular season game against the Utah Jazz, the Warriors got blown out by 40 points. The Jazz gave it to them on both ends of the floor, and at times, it seemed like a cause for genuine concern in the playoffs that the Warriors were unable to score in the interior at all.

Flip the calendars to a week ahead, and we see the Warriors pushing the blanket over whatever the Spurs have thrown at them in offence. After all, this is one of the greatest, if not the greatest, collection of basketball talent that we've seen in the history of the NBA.

Even missing Steph Curry, the Warriors would be favourites in any series not involving the Houston Rockets at this point, and it would be because of the kind of defensive pressure that we've seen every single player on their roster exert.

Kerr ran out Andre Iguodala at the point guard position in the first 2 games, and it paid off handily as Iggy has risen to the challenge of being the defensive ace on the perimeter. The reason why the likes of Bryn Forbes, Danny Green and Kyle Anderson have been unable to get anything going is because of the way Golden State closes out on the 3-point line, and how stout their interior defense has been.

Klay Thompson and Kevin Durant have been simply sensational on the offensive end, getting the bulk of the Warriors' points making the kind of shots that most coaches would berate their players for ever attempting in a playoff game. They are 2 of the 10 greatest pure shooters in the game ever, and with Curry out, they've flipped the switch that we've talked about all season long.

There is way too much of a talent gap between the Warriors and the rest of the pack to consider anyone else as outright favourites at this point. Expect the Warriors to sweep the Spurs at this rate.