Which one of us wouldn’t want to lead his team in scoring during a basketball game? To always have the ball in their hands and work through the defense to continue making successful shots after shots? While the same makes for some ambitious gameplay, it isn’t the best strategy to use in an NBA game. Solely depending on one or two players for scoring does not deliver wins at that high stage. Therefore, Stephen Curry makes it a point to ensure that his teammates do not solely depend on him for scoring. His repeated request seems to have been heard now.
Brandin Podziemski participated in a Q&A session after the Warriors’ recent win against the New York Knicks. During the same, he discussed what playing alongside Stephen Curry entails for him. If the last two years have taught him anything, it is that one can work with Curry by “understanding where he’s at. Understanding a lot of things can be created from just by screening the ball off from. And so, everybody just kind of having an awareness of, you know, where he’s at”. At the same time, however, Podziemski highlighted that the squad cannot be too “robotic”, meaning that their focus cannot be solely on just getting Steph the ball.
“And so, there’s a good balance that you have to have, and that even Steph himself, you know, preaches to us. To not just always look for him. Like, ‘Be Yourself’ too. And I think, tonight, in the past few games, we had a good balance of it,” said Podziemski.
Granted, Stephen Curry is the face of the Golden State Warriors. Under his leadership, the team has won 4 NBA championships. He is the NBA’s All-Time 3-Point Leader and, after the recent game, has won 10 STRAIGHT matchups at Madison Square Garden. However, solely using him to score makes the Warriors’ game plan predictable. Therefore, the less dependent the squad is on Curry, the more they retain the ball amongst themselves. When the worrying habit of passing the ball to Stephen Curry is put to rest, new strategies can be explored and used to give the team a much-needed edge.
As Brandin Podziemski highlighted, the past few games saw the squad balancing between passing to Steph and just ‘being themselves’. Podz’s own field goals rate has increased, along with his average 3-point attempts. At the same time, Curry is averaging 17.7 field goal attempts in March, as compared to his 22 field goal attempts per game in February. Even his 3-point attempts are down, going from 13.9 per game to 10.
Nov 30, 2023; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) is held back by guard Brandin Podziemski (2) after being called for a foul against the Los Angeles Clippers during the first quarter at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
It’s important to note, though, that Jimmy Butler’s acquisition has also played a role in this shift, as the veteran has lessened the offensive load from Curry’s shoulder. Adopting a new way of playing has given the Warriors new life. Within a few weeks, they have gone from fighting to at least secure a Play-In qualifying seed to holding the 6th seed on the Western Conference points table. In light of this, Steve Kerr couldn’t be more glad.
Steve Kerr praises Warriors squad for finding their own identity: “It’s fun to watch unfold”
The Warriors head coach was also interviewed after the win at Madison Square Garden. He did not waste any time in kicking things off on a positive note, exclaiming, “Really good Win. They all count obviously, but this felt good, you know, on the road on a back-to-back against a great team”. Steve Kerr did admit “hanging in there” after the Warriors struggled to make shots initially in the first half.
The Knicks led by 26-25 in the 1st quarter, and extended that lead in the 2nd. In the end, however, Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler, Brandin Podziemski, and Buddy Hield were able to gain the needed edge. This division of the offensive effort served as a breath of fresh air for the coach.
Dec 30, 2024; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) watches as head coach Steve Kerr reacts during the first quarter of the game against the Cleveland Cavaliers against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: John Hefti-Imagn Images
“Every possession mattered, and … there was a purpose, and Jimmy has a lot to do with that. … but I give all of our guys a lot of Credit because they’re finding a real identity, and it’s fun to watch unfold,” said Kerr.
Stephen Curry and Co. have now won 9 of their last 11 games. The recent change may just be one strategy adopted by the team to push for the playoffs. How they will continue impressing their fans and NBA analysts in future games will be fun to watch.
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