Golden State Warriors: What Stephen Curry Has To Sacrifice

If the Golden State Warriors want to reclaim the title, it will require Stephen Curry to sacrifice some aspects of his game for newcomer Kevin Durant.

When the Golden State Warriors signed Kevin Durant, a move that stunned the NBA world, perhaps no one was happier than Stephen Curry. Adding arguably the second-best scorer in the entire league was enough to excite anyone — including the best scorer in the game.

There has already been a lot of discussion about who will have to sacrifice in order to make Durant’s transition a smooth one. But the Warriors appear to be prepared for it. Klay Thompson said he is more than willing to give up some of his shots if it helps the team reach their goals of winning multiple championships.

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The biggest adjustment for the Warriors will be Durant fitting nicely into their system. They focus on screening constantly, making decisive cuts to the rim, and passing the ball around the floor well.

Durant is coming from the Oklahoma City Thunder, a team that mainly let him do his own thing. They often allowed him to go into “hero ball” mode, trusting him to beat his man one-on-one with his shooting and speed. There will still be instances in Golden State where he can isolate, but it most likely won’t be as frequent compared to when he was with OKC.

To put it simply, the Warriors’ offense is so much more complex and detailed than that of the Thunder’s. While there is no doubt that Durant will eventually find his place in their schemes, this will most likely require Curry being more of a distributor, instead of trying to dominate the offense himself.

Durant will obviously have a much bigger role than Harrison Barnes, who was the third or sometimes fourth option on offense with Curry, Thompson and Draymond Green on the floor.

Curry has already mastered the art of shooting the ball, which is why he needs to continue to improve upon his penetrating ability. When he gets into the lane, forcing the D to collapse, he will totally open up the floor for guys like Durant and Thompson to shoot with confidence once he whips the ball over to them.

In addition to concentrating on passing the ball, Curry must also not attempt as many contested circus shots and unnecessarily deep three-pointers. As entertaining as they are to watch, there is no need for him to take as many difficult shots anymore unless the shot clock is winding down, especially because the Warriors’ roster is just insanely loaded this year.

In order for the Warriors to reach their maximum potential, Curry must be prepared to maybe sacrifice some individual praise. Perhaps he won’t win a third consecutive MVP award, in addition to some other personal accolades. But it will all be worth it if the Warriors win many titles together.

Most importantly, Curry will have to check his ego at the door. When LeBron James came to the Miami Heat, Dwyane Wade did an absolutely fantastic job at slowly turning the team over to him, not allowing his pride get the best of him. That was a big reason why the Heat won two titles when James was there.

Curry must have a similar mentality and should be willing to give the keys to the car to Durant if it’s what’s best for the team.

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Ultimately, I see Durant being a terrific fit for Steve Kerr‘s rhythm and motion offense. He and Curry will make for a terrific duo, perhaps even the best scoring combo of all-time when it’s all said and done. But Curry has to be prepared to change his game in order for this all to take place, which I think he will do.