Golden State Warriors: 5 bold predictions for 2017-18 NBA season
5. Curry-Durant pick-and-roll is here to stay
For all the talk about why Steve Kerr limited the Stephen Curry-Kevin Durant pick-and-roll last season, the answer proved to be simple: He was saving it.
Durant is not the best screener. He and Curry are such great shooters that their talent can be leveraged away from the ball. That does not change the fact that the two run the most lethal two-man game in NBA history. Look no further than the closeout game of the 2017 NBA Finals for proof.
Even though he only used it heavily for one night, that’s enough to kill its element of surprise. Running an unstoppable play in the process of clinching a title will do that. Thus, there is little reason for Kerr to be as protective of it in 2017-18.
He is not going to go crazy. Kerr is a believer in unpredictability and improvisation, keeping everyone involved and sharp. His offense favors cutting, misdirection and constant passing over spread pick-and-roll, and that will not change.
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When he does run pick-and-rolls, Draymond Green will still be the most common screener. Green is a better screener and a terrific playmaking roll man. He is also far less effective than Durant away from the action.
Still, expect a huge uptick in the Curry-Durant variety. It is clean, easy and frankly more difficult to guard than any other play in basketball. It will be a fantastic crunch-time tool for a team that struggled in the clutch last regular season.
One more angle: Now that the league has seen it, running the play will be more helpful than hurtful for Golden State. You can bet 29 teams have analyzed that Game 5 film this summer, and are concocting ways to combat it. Consistent reps over the upcoming 82 games will allow Kerr to add layers the play, honing it for when he again needs it most.