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Golden State Warriors: Russell and Curry’s backcourt potential

By Tony Pesta

SAN FRANCISCO, CA - OCTOBER 10: Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors and D'Angelo Russell #0 of the Golden State Warriors high-five during a pre-season game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on October 10, 2019 at Chase Center in San Francisco, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images)
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - OCTOBER 10: Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors and D'Angelo Russell #0 of the Golden State Warriors high-five during a pre-season game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on October 10, 2019 at Chase Center in San Francisco, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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The Golden State Warriors are intrigued by the potential of their All-Star backcourt.

Stephen Curry and D’Angelo Russell have the potential to be a scary pairing in the backcourt. The All-Star duo combined for 61 points as the Golden State Warriors outscored the Los Angeles Lakers 124-103.

Russell connected on 6-of-11 shots from deep and scored a preseason high 29 points. This offensive explosion was a pleasant sight for the guard who had struggled previously.

As for Curry, his 32 point performance was nothing unusual. Curry is fresh off one of his best postseasons to date and is averaging an outstanding 26.8 points on 50.2 percent shooting in the preseason.

Together, Curry and Russell are looking to lift the Warriors past expectations. The Dubs have been counted out by many and it is up to this new star pairing to prove everyone wrong.

Russell is entering the season with a ton of pressure. The one-time All-Star is now tasked with filling the shoes of a two-time Finals MVP in Kevin Durant. D-Lo will be asked to make up for some of the offensive production that the Warriors will be missing without Durant.

D-Lo brings a flair of versatility that Durant did not have. Last season, Russell averaged a career-high 7.1 assists per game and will likely pass that mark again this season. This means that Curry and the rest of the Dubs will enjoy getting easy buckets from D-Lo’s playmaking ability.

Hopefully, this will play a pivotal role in keeping Curry fresh for the season. Curry’s usage rate might not need to skyrocket if Russell is capable of running the offense on his own. Consequently, this means a more rested and focused Curry attack than ever before.

With Russell handling the ball, Curry will have more energy to work on getting open. Expect Steve Kerr to frequently put Curry in off-ball plays to receive timely passes from their best playmaker.

Curry and D-Lo can be a dominant scoring force. However, the defense will prove to be an issue. Neither guard has the physical tools needed to be an elite defender and they will get burned throughout the season.

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The goal here is to assume the Dubs offensive output will trump their defensive woes. If this happens, D-Lo and Curry will be recognized as one of the best duos in the league.

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