Golden State Warriors: Is Steve Kerr misusing Stephen Curry?

Stephen Curry is one of the NBA’s most dynamic playmakers, so why does Steve Kerr and the Golden State Warriors opt to run so many plays with him off the ball?

Watching Stephen Curry play is a thing of beauty. When he unleashes his 15-20 point monsoon of slashes to the paint, circus shots and pull up treys, the Golden State Warriors are fun to watch.

Honestly, you can argue that it’s better for the league to see this “sideshow” on the hardwood night after night. Not only that the Warriors are fun to watch when Curry is “on” and playing to the best of his ability, the Warriors offense runs smoothly with Curry on the court.

When this man is either off the floor in foul trouble or playing passively-either by his own doing or the game plan, the team implodes and crumbles. I can pull up exhibits A, B, and C on this road trip alone to support my statement.

A — Steph was horrible against the Boston Celtics, and that’s putting it mildly. I’d also describe him as passive, unsure, and out of rhythm. The result: the Warriors lost by four. I’ll note that this was his first game back from injury.

B- His shooting woes continued during the first half against the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday. Curry missed his first four threes and had a few mental lapses in play calling. Then, the third quarter happened. The Chef cooked the Sixers by himself with a 20 point quarter, which included four threes. The result: The Warriors won in a comeback effort

C- Against the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday, Curry messed around with a triple-double with a line of 39 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists before fouling out. The Result: with Curry on the bench, the Warriors narrowly escaped Brooklyn with a win after blowing a 28-point lead.

The difference between the Boston game and the second half of the Sixers game is obvious: Steve Kerr got Curry going with a series of high screens and some pick and roll action against Philly, and it worked.

Against the Nets, Steph was aggressive and composed (except for the fouls and turnovers). The difference there? Kevin Durant didn’t play, and whenever he’s not out there, you see Steph going H.A.M. on offense.  Which brings me to my next point.

IS COACH KERR INADVERTENTLY MISUSING CURRY?

Kerr has been the head coach for four years now. You would think that he’s in tune with all of his players, but the fact of the matter is that you can know your best friend, your lover or whatever the case may be for years, and you still won’t know that person completely. As strange as it may sound, I’m getting those type of vibes here.

Curry is a player who thrives off the dribble and exploits switches. With his range, Curry can stretch a defense and help get buckets for others due to the “gravity” he commands.

Kerr uses Curry off the ball mostly and tries to maximize the attention he commands on offense. Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing wrong with this; however it seems as if Kerr relies on the “gravity” and look at Curry’s scoring and dominance as an after thought.

I understand the strategy and know why Kerr don’t want to run a bunch of pick and rolls.  I understand Kerr’s thinking, however…

Next: (RECAP) Warriors beat Nets at 118-111

A COMPROMISE SHOULD BE MADE

Unlike Durant, Steph is a rhythm player. More often than not, he needs the ball in his hands instead of running around screening for everyone.

When Curry is off the ball, he tends to lose rhythm and seem to check out mentally after being used as a glorified J.J. Reddick. There shouldn’t be a problem for Curry and Durant to get buckets and dominate together.

So I believe that Curry should cycle possessions — a few plays with the ball in his hand to ‘cook’ and stay in rhythm, and a few plays off the ball so it won’t completely affect the gameplans.

So guys, I would love to hear your thoughts. Is Kerr misusing Curry? How can Steph be Steph without disrupting the team’s flow?