How can Warriors make Ellis, Curry more efficient?

After nearly two years of watching Ellis and Curry dazzle offensively and flounder defensively, the Warriors maintain their belief that they have the makings of a playoff backcourt. They admit, however, that the slight build of the guards mandates some serious strength training and equal amounts of roster bolstering to make the postseason a reality.

"I think they've continued to show that they can play together, and now we have to continue to grow our team and get other players," coach Keith Smart said. "They're convinced that they can keep enough pressure on opponents as playmakers, but we do have defensive shortfalls. That's the problem.

"We need to make sure that our entire roster is built for their protection."

Ellis (25 years old) and Curry (23) are the top scoring backcourt in the league. Combining their points (42.7), rebounds (7.4) and assists (11.4), you could make a valid argument that the Warriors' backcourt is the most productive in the NBA.

"It's a tag team," Ellis says. "There's nothing you can do. It's like I'm hitting you with the right and he's hitting you with the left. You can't stop it."

But the new Warriors' regime seems to understand that there is more to basketball than scoring in bunches and preaching about the potential of a young roster.

Efficiency rating is an in-vogue statistic that is gaining acceptance throughout the league. The advanced version of hockey's plus-minus stat was so highly regarded by Houston at the trade deadline that the Rockets jettisoned the league's Most Improved Player, Aaron Brooks, to Phoenix and made uber-efficient Kyle Lowry their undisputed point guard.

The Warriors' backcourt doesn't grade well in efficiency. In large part because of Ellis' defensive rating (minus-8.70), which is second-worst in the league, the Warriors' guards rank No. 25 out of 30 backcourts in the NBA.