OAKLAND, CA – JUNE 13: Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors looks on against the Toronto Raptors during Game Six of the 2019 NBA Finals on June 13, 2019 at ORACLE Arena in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images)
Stephen Curry and D’Angelo Russell will share a backcourt this season, and the duo has a plan to initiate the Warriors’ offense in a specific situation.
Stephen Curry rightfully gets a lot of credit for deferring to Kevin Durant during the latter’s time with the Golden State Warriors. But with Durant gone and Klay Thompson out for awhile as he works his way back from a torn ACL, D’Angelo Russell will be on a notable stage as Curry’s backcourt mate.
With an obvious scoring void to fill, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr has already pointed to a plan to stagger Curry and Russell’s minutes. But the two will share the floor plenty, and while Curry has been able to operate very well on and off the ball Russell was more dribble-heavy and ball dominant during his time with the Brooklyn Nets.
There doesn’t appear to be any real concerns about how Russell will fit in to Golden State’s ball movement heavy offense. But it will be an adjustment for him, including playing off the ball more and surely becoming a more prolific threat from 3-point range.
On Tuesday, Curry said he and Russell have made a logical rule about who will bring the ball up after a defensive rebound.
In the name of “getting it and going”, whoever among Curry or Russell that has or can get to the ball fastest in the defensive backcourt initiating the offense makes perfect sense.
Preseason is the time for rampant optimism, so time will tell if Russell fits in quickly and becomes a long-term piece for the Warriors or if he’ll be traded when he can be. But everyone seems happy with how things are going, and it’s pretty clear Curry has taken a leadership role by having discussions with Russell about how the two will share the ball.