Top 10 Golden State Warriors' Transition Plays so Far This Season

The Golden State Warriors are known for their three-point shooting and their fast pace.  The Warriors are sixth in the NBA for pace, with 100.3 possessions per game.

They also play really well together, making for some really nice plays in transition.  When the game is moving at a blazing speed, there's very small room for error.  It takes a special team to consistently make highlight plays in transition.

And the Golden State Warriors have a lot.

Here are the top 10 this season thus far.  These plays are ranked on their level of difficulty, of course, but also the level of competition the Warriors were playing and the outcome of the game.

Having an awesome play against a team you're beating by 20 or in a loss just isn't as good as one in a big-time win against big-time competition.

10. Steph Curry Behind the Back to Klay Thompson for the Reverse

It's only right we start the list with Golden State's golden boys, the Splash Brothers, Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson.

However, unlike most Splash Brothers' highlights, this one isn't a three-pointer.

Steph throws a behind-the-back pass to Klay in transition against the Utah Jazz.

The Jazz aren't great competition, they are 1-11 so far this season after two straight losses to the Warriors, but I mean, Steph Curry throws a behind-the-back pass in stride like it was nothing.

I also just enjoy a good Splash Brother to Splash Brother look. And the fact that it's a layup and not a three-pointer is pretty special. And Klay Thompson reverses the layup, finishing with his left hand.

This may not be a Lob City dunk, but it's still pretty nice.

9. Iggy Behind-the-Back Bounce Pass to David Lee

Andre Iguodala may be new to the Warriors, but he fits right in.  

With his ability to find his teammates in transition, it seems like he's been playing with these guys for years. 

In this play, Iggy fakes out the Detroit Pistons defenders, dribbling into the middle of the paint with his right hand and bounces it quickly behind his back to David Lee on his left side.

This behind-the-back pass is a little more difficult than Curry's to Thompson, because Iguodala has to set it up a little more. The Pistons are also a little better competition; they are 2-7 thus far this season.

It's also a little more impressive just because Iguodala hasn't been playing with the Dubs for that long, but he's already throwing such difficult passes to his new teammates.

8. Curry Steal, Behind the Back for Thompson Three

So the Warriors like throwing behind-the-back passes in transition.

In this play, Steph picks off a pass, dribbles behind his back, then throws a behind-the-back pass to Klay Thompson for a three.

Although the Utah Jazz aren't great competition, this play is pretty cool. It comes off of a steal, and good defense is good offense, right? From there, Steph sets up his right-hand man.

There's a little bit more setting up to do than Iguodala's behind-the-back pass to Lee, so Curry gets the higher spot with this one.

Steph doesn't just decide to throw the ball to Thompson—the entire time he sets it up. When he steals the ball, he immediately has his head up, allowing him to dribble behind his back when the defender steps up. He then spots Klay running to the corner and leads the defense away from his shooter by dribbling toward the middle with his left. All the while, he knows he's going to pass to Klay in the corner.  

Once the defense is drawn away from the corner, Steph throws the behind-the-back pass with his left hand to the waiting Klay Thompson.

Good stuff there. I love some good Splash Brother to Splash Brother action.

7. Curry's Half-Court Alley-Oop to Iggy

We're not used to too many dunks in transition from the Warriors, that's the Miami Heat and the Los Angeles Clippers' bread and butter. But with the addition of Andre Iguodala, the Dubs are on a whole other level in transition, literally.

In this play, Steph finds Iguodala breaking to the basket ahead of the Philadelphia 76ers defense.

Once Curry spots Iggy, he doesn't have to do much more work, throwing him an alley-oop from half court.

The accuracy of this oop from the distance it was thrown is pretty spectacular, especially from a point guard who probably isn't used to throwing that many.

He leads him to the rim with his oop pass. When you think about the accuracy that ball had to have, it's kind of crazy.

The only reason why this isn't higher on the list is because the 76ers aren't great competition, although they are 5-7.

Also, the score was 26-12 in favor of Golden State, so the Warriors were ahead by a lot early.

Nonetheless, this play is pretty awesome.

6. Andre Iguodala Behind-the-Back Pass from the Corner

So it seems as if Mark Jackson has the Warriors working day-in and day-out on behind-the-back passes. Whether or not that's true, I like the confidence the Warriors are playing with, throwing behind-the-back dimes in stride without hesitation.

Swag.

In this play, Andre Iguodala gives a behind-the-back pass on the money to David Lee in transition.

To make it even more difficult, Iggy is jumping in the air while he passes the ball behind his back. From the corner. 

When have you ever seen a behind-the-back pass from the corner?

If that's not awesome, I don't know what is.

However, although this is really impressive, it's not higher on the list because the Warriors won by 20 against a Philadelphia 76ers team who may or may not be attempting to tank.

But it's above his other behind-the-back pass against the Detroit Pistons because the level of difficulty is much higher. Against the Pistons he is throwing a behind-the-back bounce pass off the dribble, which, although still really hard, is less difficult than catching a pass in the air and flicking it behind his back with no bounce to David Lee, who has a defender right on his back.

I mean, that's crazy.

An in-the-air, behind-the-back pass, on the money to a player in stride from the corner, how many times in history do you think that combination has happened?

Probably around one.

5. Iggy Give-and-Go with Lee

Golden State has the Splash Brothers, and now there may be another bromance in Oakland. Andre Iguodala and David Lee always seem to find each other in transition

This is Iguodala's premiere as a Warrior, and he's already throwing behind-the-back passes to his new teammate, who immediately without hesitation throws it right back to him for an easy layup.

The degree of difficulty isn't better than Iggy's in-the-air, behind-the-back pass, but it was Iguodala's first game in Oakland, and it was against better competition, the Los Angeles Lakers.

A give-and-go isn't extremely difficult, and it isn't as flashy as an alley-oop in transition, but a give-and-go is classic. If Lee hesitates at all to throw the ball back to his new teammate Iguodala, the play doesn't work. If Iguodala stops moving toward the basket, the play doesn't work.

There's a lot that can go wrong in this play, but nothing does.

Everything is in rhythm. Pure, fluid basketball.

It's a beautiful thing. 

4. Curry Between-the-Legs Pass to Barnes

Alright, so the Golden State Warriors apparently not only love to throw the ball behind their backs for highlight plays, they also like to throw the ball between their legs for highlight plays.

Off a steal against the Minnesota Timberwolves, David Lee's outlet pass bounces in front of Curry. Curry grabs the ball off its bounce and bounce passes it through his legs to a trailing Harrison Barnes for the dunk.

Crazy.

The Minnesota Timberwolves are 7-4 so far this season and have an MVP candidate in Kevin Love. They also have Ricky Rubio, who is almost averaging a double-double per night, and Kevin Martin, who has great scoring ability at the wing.

So they're pretty good competition, which is why this is No. 4 on the list. 

But I mean, Stephen Curry just caught the ball one-handed off of its high bounce and bounced it through his legs for the Barnes dunk.

Swag.

3. Curry to Thompson And-1 Against the Clippers

Like I said before, I love some Splash Brother-to-Splash Brother action, especially in transition. This play is even more special because Klay takes the hit from the bigger Russell Westbrook and finishes the layup.

This transition also comes off a Curry steal and a Kevin Durant turnover.

Can't get much better competition than Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook.

Curry picks up the loose ball off the Durant turnover, and Thompson finishes the play against Westbrook.  

This play isn't flashy. It isn't a behind-the-back pass or a dunk, but it is an undersized NBA guard taking on a stockier, more athletic Westbrook, taking the hit and making the play.

Westbrook is 6'3", 200 pounds and recorded a 36.5" max vertical jump at the 2008 NBA combine. Thompson is four inches taller but weighs just five pounds more and at the 2011 NBA Combine registered a 31.5" max vertical.

Curry gives Thompson a good pass, and Klay finishes the and one against a more athletic Westbrook in Golden State's win against the talented Oklahoma City Thunder.

2. Steph's Four-Point Play Against the Clippers

One of Stephen Curry's nine three-pointers against the Los Angeles Clippers came in the form of a four-point play in transition.

Chris Paul and the Clippers are definitely good competition. And this play comes off a Clippers turnover from a hustling Steph Curry and David Lee.

Steph immediately turns and sprints down the court, catching Iguodala's pass right under the Staples Center logo and in one motion shoots in Jared Dudley's face.

Curry has Iguodala and Lee ready for layups with Dudley leaving the paint to contest Steph's shot.

But when Stephen Curry gets hot like that, passing up two point-blank layups for a long, contested three is actually a good shot.

I mean, they did get four points out of it.

But the Warriors lost the game, so although it is really, really awesome, it can't be No. 1.

1. Curry Fakes out Westbrook

Although this transition slows down, it's still not a set play, and it's definitely out of transition. So I'm calling it transition.

The Warriors' win over the Oklahoma City Thunder was their first win against a contending team. Golden State's other wins this season have been against weaker teams.

This highlight is No. 1 not only because it's awesome, but also because it comes in their first big win this season.

It's also No. 1 because Curry nonchalantly fakes out Russell Westbrook and drains a three.

Too cool, Steph.

Curry had been wide open for a while and obviously wanted the ball so he could shoot, evident in his waving his arms and jumping up and down before Harrison Barnes throws him the ball.

Most players would have their mind set on shooting immediately after receiving the pass, but Curry patiently throws a soft pump fake, let's Westbrook fly by and then smoothly sinks a three.

So smooth.

Stephen Curry is a special player, and the Golden State Warriors are a special team. Their ability to read each other and score in transition is irreplaceable. It gets them in rhythm, it fires them up and it gives them momentum.

When the Warriors are playing well together and getting buckets in transition, it's hard to stop them.

There will definitely be more highlight plays in transition for the Warriors this season, and I'm sure there will be more behind-the-back passes.

Tonight (Wednesday Nov. 20) the Warriors take on the Memphis Grizzlies, whom they lost to earlier this season. So far this season, the Grizzlies have been turning the ball over pretty consistently.  If the Grizzlies don't take care of the ball, watch for even more plays in transition from Steph and the Warriors.