Warriors: How they mastered the art of moving without the ball to create a top offense
Stephen Curry hears the talk. He curls around screens, cuts down the lane, races this way, darts that way — all without the ball, all while exasperated and exhausted opponents mutter not-sosweetly in his ear. • Why don’t you ever stop moving? • Damn, you’re wearing me out. • Could you just stand in the corner one time?
Curry, walking out of Oracle Arena after Game 5 of the Western Conference semifinals, offered a thin smile as he shared the most common complaints. There’s an art to moving without the ball in the NBA, and Warriors guards Curry and Klay Thompson are among the most accomplished practitioners.
They’re extraordinary 3-point shooters, sure, but those shots do not magically materialize. They often require constant movement, screens from teammates, a perpetual search for open space.
This leaves defensive players chasing Curry and Thompson around the court, growing agitated. They usually get no response from Curry, though sometimes he can’t help himself.
“You might set them up,” he said, “and say, ‘Oh, I’m not doing anything on this play’ — and then take off running. Keep ’em guessing.”
The Western Conference finals, starting Monday in Houston, offer a sharp contrast in offensive styles. The Warriors embrace ball and player movement, while the Rockets prefer to plant players on the perimeter and have James Harden or Chris Paul find a suitable pick-and-roll.
Golden State’s approach mostly traces to coach Steve Kerr’s background. He played in college at Arizona, where Lute Olson preached movement, and in the NBA for Phil Jackson and Gregg Popovich, who espoused a similar style. In constant motion
But it’s also no coincidence that Curry and Thompson are adept at moving without the ball. Thompson recalled watching Ray Allen as a kid, admiring the way he tirelessly worked to get open for his smooth-as-silk jumper.
Curry watched Reggie Miller and became mesmerized by his nonstop motion without the ball.
“Reggie was the master at deception, change of speed, being physical, setting up guys coming off screens and turning that energy into squaring up and knocking down the shot,” Curry said. “That’s something our offense is predicated on. If you don’t have the ball in your hands, you can set screens, come off screens, move and still be a threat.”
Curry learned these subtleties in college at Davidson. Wildcats coach Bob McKillop demanded that players move without the ball, and Curry — who played shooting guard during his first two seasons with Davidson — was no exception.
Conditioning matters, too. Curry averaged 2.41 miles run per game during the regular season, according to tracking data kept by the NBA. That put him seventh among point guards. Thompson averaged 2.49 miles, fifth among shooting guards.
Thompson seemed surprised when told this number. Then he was reminded it translates to more than 200 miles over an 82-game season.
“I could run to SoCal,” he joked. “But 2½ miles a day, that’s not too bad.”
Early in the third quarter Tuesday night, Thompson started one possession on the left wing. He came out high to get the ball from Kevin Durant and passed to Curry coming off a screen, but the Pelicans defended the play well.
Thompson moved back toward the left wing, caught a cross-court pass from Andre Iguodala, ran toward Draymond Green in the corner, dropped the ball to him, and quickly cut along the baseline. Green passed back to Thompson, who made a nice reverse layup.
Consider this a geometric sporting puzzle, requiring players to understand angles and timing — and then make the equation leap to life.
“There’s definitely a method to it,” Thompson said. “You’re not just running around, because then you lose all your energy. You kind of read where the ball is and where your teammates are to use screens. And read the defenders.
“Then you have to pick your spots on when to come off screens hard and when it’s time to rest. So it’s not an exact science, but a lot of experience.” ‘Passer’s paradise’
Kerr emphasized movement without the ball soon after taking over as Warriors coach in 2014. He knew Curry and Thompson were perfect fits for this system because of their shooting ability and their willingness to work to get open.
One underrated element: centers who understand the nuances of setting good screens. Andrew Bogut learned how to read Curry and Thompson, and they in turn realized their movement would lead to open shots. Zaza Pachulia also excels at setting screens, as does Green.
Kerr’s philosophy is rooted in historical guidance — and not merely the triangle offense with the Bulls or the pass-happy Spurs. He pointed to several past players who moved well without the ball, from Mark Price and Jeff Hornacek to Miller, Allen and Richard “Rip” Hamilton.
This is Golden State’s offense — Thompson and Curry cutting, Green or Iguodala looking to pass, Durant slipping to the basket or curling off a screen. Or, when they’re in the game, David West and Shaun Livingston making sharp cuts. And the defense can only scramble. “It’s not like a called play — they just move,” Kerr said. “I think that’s the best way to attack in basketball anyway, because you can’t plan for that.”
Or, as Green succinctly put it, “Passer’s paradise.”