Welcome to "One Play!" Throughout the 2021-22 NBA season, our TSN staff will break down certain possessions from certain games and peel back the curtains to reveal their bigger meaning.
Today, Warriors star Stephen Curry takes the spotlight.
Context: It wasn't the prettiest game of Stephen Curry's career, but he got the job done.
In Golden State's Game 1 victory over Dallas in the Western Conference Finals, Curry led the way with 21 points. He also grabbed a game-high 12 rebounds and dished out four assists, tying him with Klay Thompson and Kevon Looney for team-high honors.
Of course, Curry's stats have always only told part of the story, as his impact is far greater than anything you'll find on a traditional box score.
There was one particular way Curry gave the Mavericks trouble in Game 1.
You know what that means — to the film room!
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The play:
Breakdown: Draymond Green receives an inbound pass from Andrew Wiggins and wastes no time advancing the ball, breaking out in a full sprint in the hopes of catching the Mavericks off guard. The Mavericks get back in time to prevent an easy bucket and force Green to pick up his dribble at the elbow.
Green spots Curry on the left side of the court and kicks it out to him.
Curry is immediately met by Reggie Bullock, who knows better than to give him any space.
With no room to get a shot off, Curry drives towards the baseline and is doubled by Bullock and Dwight Powell. He calmly picks up his dribble and kicks it out to Looney, who then moves the ball along to Green, who is now at the top of the perimeter.
It's no secret as to what's coming next.
Terrified of Curry curling off of Looney's screen for an open look at a 3, Powell jumps out while Bullock fights to get back in the picture.
With two on Curry, Jalen Brunson on Green, and Luka Doncic and Dorian Finney-Smith focused on Thompson and Wiggins on the opposite side of the court, nobody can slide over in time to prevent Looney from waltzing his way to the basket.
The result? A dunk.
Why it matters: If you've ever watched Curry, you'll have noticed how exhausting he must be to defend. Not only is the greatest shooter of all time comfortable shooting every which way — off of screens, spotting up, off the dribble, several feet behind the line, you name it — but he never stops moving.
Earlier this season, Clippers star Paul George had a particularly good response when asked about the challenges of guarding Curry.
"It just takes, honestly, a whole five players to have an awareness of where he's at because one step and he's out of there, and he shoots it so quick that you can't allow him to get free."
The funny thing about Curry is that he had somewhat of a down year by his standards. He made a league-best 4.5 3-pointers per game but connected on them at a 38.0 percent clip, the second-lowest mark of his career. (He's posting almost identical numbers in these playoffs.) The only season he shot worse from 3-point range was 2019-20 (24.5 percent) when he appeared in five games due to injury.
And yet, teams are still terrified of Curry getting even a slither of daylight because a down year by his standards would be a career year by anyone else's. Case in point: Damian Lillard (twice) and Buddy Hield (once) are the only other players in NBA history to make at least four 3-pointers per game on 38.0 percent shooting in a single season.
What makes Curry unique is he knows how to use that fear to his advantage.
Pick-and-rolls with Green as the screener have long sent defenses into a tailspin. Take away Curry's pull-up that he's become famous for, and Green will short-roll teams to death.
Nobody relocates better than Curry when they give up the ball, which requires his defender to stay attached to his hip at all times. The slightest of hesitation can pull an additional defender over, turning it into a game of 4-on-3 once again.
The Warriors thrive when they get teams in rotations, ping-ponging the ball around until they find the open man.
Sometimes a simple cut is all it takes for someone to slip backdoor for a layup. His gravity is what makes him such a devastating cutter and screener.
It doesn't help that no mistake goes unnoticed by both Curry and Green. The defense letting their guard down for even a split second opens the door for punishing results.
The Mavericks were one of the better defensive teams in the league this season and will almost certainly be better prepared for Curry's non-stop movement in Game 2 and beyond, but it requires all five defenders to know where he is at all times. It's what makes him an all-timer and the Warriors such a dangerous team.
