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Kevin Durant is well aware of the dynamic impact he has had upon signing with the Golden State Warriors, elevating them from a championship powerhouse to a juggernaut-level franchise that is a surefire contender every season. Yet he is still perceptive of how this team operates, noting the Warriors are only at their best when Stephen Curry is pushing the pace with his shotmaking:
“We’re at our best when Steph is aggressive and making shots. It’s simple,” Durant told Mark Medina of The Mercury News. “We try our best for him and Klay to get open. Free them so they can run around the open court and get them open shots and take advantage of mismatches. For us, our whole thing is how can we do that as much as we can.”
Before Durant came around, Golden State's engine revolved on Draymond Green, a playmaker extraordinaire creating open shots for Curry and Klay Thompson, who often found ways to make opponents pay from the perimeter.
While the Slim Reaper and his scoring array will prove vital to the Warriors this postseason, ensuring Curry and Thompson work as the sprinkler systems of a well-irrigated lawn will be of utmost importance, considering that walking away from that ball-sharing concept was what got them in trouble against the Houston Rockets last season.
For a few games, Golden State relied on a Durant-centric iso-style of basketball that mimicked James Harden's, one that nearly resulted in their elimination from playoff contention in the Western Conference Finals.
Maintaining that awareness, as Durant has over the course of the last few games, will prove of essence when facing the different challenges teams will throw at the two-time defending champions in hopes to dethrone them.
