Something “unusually small” is happening at the Paris Olympics, and half of us aren’t even aware of it. Yes! It’s got to do with our NBA superstars, LeBron James and Stephen Curry. Right now, as we look at the mythical duo play, we see James with the basketball in his hand most of the time. What about Curry? While that was a question we all had for some time now, it turns out, Steve Kerr has something to do with it.
The sequence comes straight out of the Warriors’ playbook, as Kerr and the entire team call it “too small”. So, basically, it involves Curry and James in a pick-and-roll action, where Curry is the screener. If you’re scratching your head, Kerr explains it better. “He’s the best screening point guard in the league. He’s so physical, he’s so strong” which allows the tandem to enhance the Warriors’ play given the Akron Hammer’s daunting lane prowess.
And Curry approves of it, in his conversation with The Athletic. He dictated just why the play is so effective. “I’m a good screener and can cause some confusion for a guy like (LeBron) having the ball. We do it a little bit in Golden State where you have somebody else having the ball and me setting it, and I have a lot of different actions you can run, but if you get (LeBron) going downhill, good luck to anybody trying to stop him and having me come off into space”.
via Reuters
Bron and Curry are compatible on the hardwood floor. The brilliance of this small decision is that for a rival, they’re only left with two choices –
- Allow James to run to the rim with the ‘small defender’
- Send both on him, leave Curry, the most decorated three-point shooter, all alone.
It’s literally Sophie’s choice!
So even when Curry misses the shot, the team can still have the bandwidth to gamble on things and open the floor for the other superstars to jump in and save the day. “Just try to make teams make decisions and the more decisions you can make a defense make the better chance you have to create confusion” Stephen Curry explained.
While it isn’t Team USA’s default play, the chances of succeeding using the tactic are astonishing because of the s𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁s each of them boasts. That’s the reason basketball fans feel a tandem of such masters would break the NBA. It’s not surprising to see the two Akron natives work seamlessly together.
The league, though, is lucky to not have them join forces.
The one time LeBron James and Stephen Curry could have become teammates
When confronted in 2022 about the one guy he wanted to play with, LeBron James said “Steph Curry’s the one that I wanna play with for sure, in today’s game”. The Baby Face Assassin, too, has shared his desire to play with his good friend. But their rivalry and meteoric stature make it difficult for them to share the court in the NBA.
That didn’t stop the Bay from making the fans’ dream a reality. During the past trade deadline, when the Lakers were in a rut, the Warriors approached James with a proposal. The trade would send the King to the Warriors, to team up with Curry, Green, and Klay Thompson, possibly. However, James rejected the request, citing his will to stay in LA.
But had it happened, it would possibly have been worse than Kevin Durant joining the Warriors despite their ages. Because even at 39, James is unstoppable when he makes up his mind to charge the rim. Moreover, under NBA rules, the floor remains open. And with Steve Kerr as the master tactician, there would be more than one play with the tandem in focus.
If it is “too small”, it gives James the advantage of facing less pressure at the rim. Moreover, he also has greater passing options with the NBA’s defensive three-second rule. The bigger dimensions of the court would also give Stephen Curry greater space to run and be open with the King, drawing in most of the defense.
Not to say it would be spotless, but under the NBA’s regulations, the duo’s potential literally breaks through the roof and keeps soaring until there is no end. Maybe at the end of their careers, they come to a compromise. Or maybe it’s only meant to be this once, at the Paris Olympics. If that’s the case, then a staple Curry-James game is still pending. Could it come against Brazil in the quarterfinals tomorrow?
Before leaving, do watch the Dual Threat Show hosted by BG12 where Bulldogs’ Asia Avinger details her experience with Kobe Bryant, her WNBA ROTY picks, and more in the video below.
