Blue Man Hoop
Fansided

5 adjustments the Warriors should make for Game 4

By Carlos Murillo

May 22, 2016; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Golden State Warriors bench reacts during the second quarter against the Oklahoma City Thunder in game three of the Western conference finals of the NBA Playoffs at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports
May 22, 2016; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Golden State Warriors bench reacts during the second quarter against the Oklahoma City Thunder in game three of the Western conference finals of the NBA Playoffs at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
6 of 6
Next

Give Curry the ball

Warriors
May 22, 2016; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) drives to the basket as Oklahoma City Thunder center Steven Adams (12) defends during the third quarter in game three of the Western conference finals of the NBA Playoffs at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports /

The Warriors need to get the ball into Steph Curry’s hands.

This should be the biggest no-brainer of all no-brainers ever. The best player in the world needs the ball in his hands.

Just walking through the lane attracts attention. Curry could be standing thirty feet away from the basket without the ball and he’d still have a defender playing tight defense. He has a natural gravity that changes the game even when he’s no where near the ball.

But he can’t do what he does best and can’t completely takeover a game if he doesn’t have the ball in his hands. This is on him and on Kerr. Kerr needs to realize that his best option is sometimes letting the MVP dance and hoist. Those generally go pretty well for Golden State.

Curry is selfless, preferring to let his teammates get into a rhythm. He doesn’t want to disrupt the offensive scheme looking for his own shot. That needs to change. He’s the most dominant offensive force the league has seen in years. He’s a killer that can takeover at will. We saw it in overtime against the Trail Blazers and in Game 2 against the Thunder.

He needs to isolate when he gets a big switched out onto him. That’s a mismatch every single time. That’s barbecue chicken. The Warriors need to use him as a point guard, not a JJ Redick or Kyle Korver catch-and-shoot player. He has the best handle in the league and his one of the best passers (when he’s not throwing it away, admittedly).

Perhaps the answer to the Warriors offensive woes are simple: isolate and high-pick-and-rolls. Both of those plays allow the Warriors’ best offensive decision-makers to make the right plays. Curry can cook whoever is on him and the pick-and-roll allows Golden State to play four-on-three with Green as the playmaker in the middle of the court. Curry, who never stops moving, finds the ball and gets open shots after a few passes.

He needs the ball. The Warriors can’t win with him hiding in the corner. Put the ball in his hands.

Home/Stephen Curry