The Warriors’ motion offense has dominated the NBA for five years running. The offense, filled with constant ball and player movement, has confused teams since 2014 when head coach Steve Kerr was hired. Despite its success, former Warrior Kevin Durant believes that the offense, and the Warriors, have ran their time.

"The motion offense we run in Golden State, it only works to a certain point," Durant said. "We can totally rely on only our system for maybe the first two rounds. Then the next two rounds we're going to have to mix in individual play. We've got to throw teams off because they're smarter in that round of playoffs. So now I had to dive into my bag, deep, to create stuff on my own, off the dribble, isos, pick-and-rolls, more so than let the offense create my points for me." He wanted to go someplace where he'd be free to hone that sort of improvisational game throughout the regular season."

Rachel Nichols took time to talk to Warriors’ superstar Stephen Curry about Durant's comments. Curry explained that Durant has the right to express himself but disagreed with the statement.

"Well, I don't care what plays we ran," Curry told Nichols. "We won two championships. And at the end of the day, we had a lotta talent and there was an expectation of us figuring out how to balance all that. And we talked a lot about it throughout the three-year run. It wasn't always perfect, but I think in terms of, you know, the results and what we were able to do on the floor, that kinda speaks for itself.”

An offense is a template. Good players make an offense work. A great offense can make good players great. We see it all the time when a player leaves one system and doesn’t have the same success on their new team. We see it when coaches leave teams and their bread and butter system doesn’t work the same in their new city. The template of sets works both ways.

What makes dynasties and Hall Of Famers is when a player can become the system. That is what we see in Golden State. From the moment Monte Ellis was traded in 2012, Curry has emerged as the focal point of the Warriors’ offense. When Kerr took over the reigns as head coach, Curry became the system.

No, Curry does not dominate the ball like other high scoring stars-- such as James Harden and Russell Westbrook.

No, Curry does not take high volume shot attempts.

Curry’s role as the Warriors’ system is different than that of Lebron James and Russell Westbrook. Curry’s presence allows for the motion offense to work at historical rates. Every miscommunication on off-ball screens, on ball switches, and transition defense is predicated off of Curry just being on the court. In the 2017 NBA Finals there was a moment when Durant and Curry were on a face break. Durant had the ball in the middle, and Curry was spotted up on the wing. The two Cavalier defenders that were back on defense ran out to the three point line to defend Curry-- giving Durant a wide open dunk.

In similar fashion, Draymond Green was able to play virtually two on three for most of the 2019 NBA Conference Finals, because the Trailblazers refused to leave Curry one on one-- in turn blitzing him the entire game on pick and roll-- and couldn’t help off of Klay Thompson.

Curry is the point guard, but the ball doesn’t stick with him. He is constantly willing to take the right shot and make the right basketball play, even if it means to pass up a shot he can make, or if it means to take a 26-footer.

The genius of Kerr is the ability to put the pieces together around Curry. Turning Green into a point four, further creating match-up issues. Making Thompson and Curry screeners for slashers like Iguodala and McKinnie. Putting Durant and Curry in the pick and roll, allowing for one of the two to be on an island with their defender. Each players willingness to adopt a new role, take a step back, or even be more assertive in different aspects of their game, accompanied with the presence of Curry, has made the offense the juggernaut it is. That will not change, as long as the culture of sacrifice stays the same.

“We talked a lot about it, in our three year run,” Curry said. “The word sacrifice, in terms of the way we’re accustomed to playing. We all wanna play iso-ball at the end of the day in some way, shape or form. But I'd rather have some championships, too.”