Draymond Green: Warriors' Offense Started with Steph Curry Even When Durant Was Here
June 6, 2022
Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green told reporters Sunday that Stephen Curry has always been the catalyst of the offense, even when Kevin Durant played on the team from 2016-2019.
"When KD was here, our offense still started with Steph," Green said. "That's the way it's gonna be."
The offense certainly started with Curry on Sunday as he scored 14 of his game-high 29 points in the third quarter en route to the Warriors' 107-88 win over the Boston Celtics in Game 2 of the NBA Finals.
Green certainly didn't seem like he was slighting Durant whatsoever, as he was responding to a question that specifically mentioned Durant's name. Rather, he appeared to be hyping up his own teammate after a phenomenal performance.
Regardless of whether the offense truly started with Curry, Durant or some combination of both during the KD portion of the Warriors' dynasty, there's no denying how incredible those teams' offenses were on a nightly basis.
Golden State's offense was first, third and first in offensive efficiency over those three years, per Basketball-Reference, winning three Western Conference titles and two NBA titles.
It was poetry in motion, regardless of whoever was leading the way on a given night.
That era ended in 2019 when KD left in free agency for the Brooklyn Nets. The Warriors have a new look these days, as they excel more on the defensive end (No. 1 in efficiency).
Curry is the clear leader of this team's offense—flanked by plenty of talent in Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins and Jordan Poole—as the Dubs look for their fourth NBA title since 2015.
The Warriors can take another step toward their championship quest in Game 3 of the NBA Finals on Wednesday at 9 p.m. ET in Boston. The best-of-seven series is tied at one game apiece.