OAKLAND — Ten months ago prior to Game 6 of the NBA Finals, Cavaliers forward Richard Jefferson took a Snap Chat of Cleveland’s locker room.
Prominent in the photograph was a flat screen that displayed a head shot of Steph Curry. There was a defensive strategy underneath his name: NO AIR SPACE
The cat is out of the bag and the secret is no longer a secret. During the playoffs, NBA teams aggressively hold Curry as he tries to maneuver around the court on offense.
“I feel like for us, teams are always grappling and holding,” Andre Iguodala said Saturday before Game 1 of the first round against Portland. “Steph gets grabbed and held more than anybody I’ve seen. They get away with it. It’s almost like we’re used to it. It’s kind of finally like we have the opportunity to be just as aggressive. I feel like it works in our favor.”
Steph gets played like this for 82 games (and the playoffs) and still averages 25, 5 and 6. It's almost impossible. pic.twitter.com/6WalY6vUUx
— Warriors Talk (@JaeAzizi) April 11, 2017
How are the Warriors preparing for this in practice? The holding has really been going on this entire regular season. Referees are put an impossible position because they can’t blow their whistle for it every trip down, so a standard is set. When Curry doesn’t have the basketball in his hands, someone is generally trying to stop his movement with their hands. The grip of these holds get tighter in the postseason.
It won’t be just the grappling and holding, and Iguodala knows this. Starting with the Trail Blazers, you’ll see Curry routinely fouled harder than any other player as he attacks the rim. For most of the teams, it’s nothing personal against Steph. The only way to realistically challenge the Warriors is to try and exhaust Curry. Cleveland’s done it before, but I’d argue it was as much mental fatigue for Curry as it was physical.
But Iguodala’s point also matters, that this holding can ultimately work out in Golden State’s favor. If other team’s are getting away with constantly grabbing Curry — and it rarely ever works for a full game — the Warriors will be able to be more physical themselves on the defensive end. Iguodala and Draymond Green can get more handsy, forcing steals and bad passes, leading to breakaway Klay Thompson and Curry 3s.
No doubt, Curry’s mindset entering this postseason is completely different than it was a year ago — defending both the title and his MVP trophy. There are scars to show for a brutal championship defeat, but there’s also entirely less pressure on him to deliver as a MVP scorer every single night. The Warriors can, and will, win games without Curry launching 33 points and hitting 7 of his 11 3s. From an individual offensive standpoint, it’s really now Kevin Durant vs. LeBron James and Steph Curry vs. Kyrie Irving. Curry carried a gimpy knee into last season’s championship round, but he also carried the burden of having to match LeBron tit-for-tat. I think that would weigh down any human being.
Curry is surging into the postseason, and while he was very peacefully coexisting (and thriving) in a lineup with Durant, I’ve maintained it was enormous for him to dominate the league while KD recovered from his knee injury. We saw Steph Gonna Steph moments, the arrogant brand of basketball the Warriors bury opponents with highlight-reel plays that spawn 21-6 runs. Rightfully so, Steph needed some space to fully rediscover his kingdom, and that arrogance is being brought with him Sunday.
The playoffs bring an entirely new set of questions the Warriors have to answer — they almost certainly will keep ringing the bell, but we don’t know how several will play out. Steve Kerr’s rotation will be shortened in close games and which players lose minutes is completely unknown — he’s maintained JaVale McGee and Matt Barnes will have roles. In 25 games that were within 5 points with 5 minutes to play, the Warriors went 16-9, with notable late game collapses against Memphis and Cleveland. They never really sorted out their close game strategy. That’ll have to play out in the postseason.
A storyline that’ll only intensify as the Warriors march their way to June is how much opposing defenses attempt to bruise and batter Curry — and how much will the referees call it?