NBA Play-in Tournament: 5 players who could thrive in the play-in

1. Stephen Curry

There are two versions of Stephen Curry the basketball player.

One is the guy beholden to the system put in place by Steve Kerr that takes the ball out of his hands and keeps him in constant motion to create chaos both he and his teammates can benefit from. The results have been somewhat successful, with Curry averaging over 30 points a night and the Golden State Warriors’ offense operating at a near top-10 rate with him on the court. But it has its downsides.

By placing Curry off the ball, Kerr is limiting the amount of time his best player and one of the league’s generational offensive talents is directly involved in the play. Don’t get it twisted. Curry has to be accounted for at all times, but there’s a restrictiveness to his impact when he doesn’t possess the object that ultimately warrants the most defensive attention (the basketball).

Which brings us to the second version of Curry, the one who adopts a heliocentric offensive system in the same vein as Lillard or Doncic.

It’s here where Steph dictates everything that happens at the offensive end. It’s in this type of setting where he has the green light to do as he pleases. When that includes more pick and rolls — where he ranks in the 95th percentile — to accentuate his golden 3-point shot, mesmerizing handles and ambidextrous finishing touch, good things are bound to follow.

Kerr might not prefer this style given how irrelevant it makes the surrounding players. With his season on the line and nobody else earning much of his trust, he might not have a choice.