Warriors' Game 6 approach vs. Rockets simple: Feed Steph and Jimmy originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
The subjects were Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler III, and the question was directed to Warriors coach Steve Kerr.
How do you feel about possessions when Steph and Jimmy are both on the floor and neither one of them touches the ball?
Kerr did not skip a beat, his reply coming a fraction of a second after I closed my mouth.
“I’m not a big fan of that,” Kerr said Thursday afternoon.
As the Warriors prepare for Game 6 of their playoff series against the Houston Rockets on Friday night, this was Kerr’s message for everyone on the roster not named Curry or Butler: Feed them.
Give Curry another opportunity to prove his right thumb doesn’t fear the worst intentions of Dillon Brooks and Amen Thompson. Give Butler chances to outsmart Houston defenders or send them to the bench with foul trouble.
In each of the first five games, three of which the Warriors won, there have been several possessions during which the ball never reaches the team’s primary offensive engines. With the Rockets effectively taming Draymond Green’s playmaking, the task falls to others, with Brandin Podziemski first in line.
Though Kerr trusts Podziemski, the coach does not want the team’s fate dictated by a postseason rookie. Not when he’s sharing the court with two of the most dynamic playoff performers in the NBA.
The second-year guard lacks Green’s devotion to giving Curry and Butler opportunities to make a play for themselves or a teammate. Podziemski continues to fight a tendency to overdribble, which eats into the shot clock and relegates Curry and Butler to spectators.
Podziemski has gotten better at recognizing this oversight but still lapses into possessions in which the ball stays with him and ends with him taking the shot.
Kerr is “not a big fan” of zero-pass possessions – unless it’s Curry dipping into his wizardry warehouse. That’s allowed because, well, there is a history of success. Butler’s pass-first mentality guides his decisions, so his forays into paint often represent his last, and maybe best, option to score. He has a gift for navigating his way to the foul line.
Everyone not named Curry or Butler is there to benefit from their presence. Golden State’s offense is designed with those two as the primary impact players. The offense in these playoffs will go as far as they take it.
“I prefer when each one touches the ball, or at least one of them,” Kerr said. “There were several possessions like that. And it’s something that we’ve talked about all season. We have to play off Steph because of the attention he draws. And then once we got Jimmy, that became a part of the mantra as well. Get the ball to Jimmy.
“So, we’ll do a better job of that (Friday) night.”
Though Golden State’s defense is its surest path to winning Game 6 and advancing to the Western Conference semifinals, the offense must find ways to produce against a very good defense making smart use of zones. That, Kerr said, was part of the conversation during the team’s Friday afternoon walk-through.
It’s reasonable to expect more sets designed to give Draymond more opportunities with the ball. To exploit his chemistry with Curry. Or to get the ball to Butler and give him room to maneuver.
“We can definitely get Draymond into spots to help his playmaking,” Kerr said. “And it’s something that we’ve talked a lot about. We’ve walked through a couple things today to get him in spots where he can create a little bit like he normally does. We’ve got to do a better job of it.”
More Draymond with the ball – and less Podz – is a reasonable approach, particularly since Podziemski’s scoring has been more rewarding than his decision-making in this series.
Both teams have made game-by-game adjustments, but it’s imperative that the Warriors find some semblance of offensive flow. The Rockets, long and athletic, have made it difficult. The Warriors are averaging 24 assists per game, well below their regular-season average of 29.1.
The priorities are clear for the Warriors, who are desperate to avoid the danger that would come with making another trip to Houston for Game 7. Limit their live-ball turnovers, keep the Rockets’ offense in the halfcourt as much as possible and make an early statement against an opponent that thrives when generating momentum.
And, yes, remember the importance of riding the offensive production – scoring and playmaking – of Curry and Butler.
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