The insane chemistry between Steph and Draymond
The duo of Steph Curry and Draymond Green has already been on full display this season as the Warriors sit atop the standings in league with a 12-2 record. Many of the superstars in the NBA know that the two are a deadly combination, but some are just now learning what they can really do. Earlier this year, Ja Morant tweeted a clip of Draymond catching the ball at the top of the key and just waiting to find Curry in stride for an open three. It was captioned, “chemistry crazy.” Morant may get a pass because he just got drafted a few years ago, but as for the rest of the league, they need to step their game up if they want to try to stop the two former champions.
The chemistry was on full display last night, as the Warriors faced the Nets in a primetime matchup at Barclays Center. They had at least four assists to one another, including a pass from Draymond to Curry that bounced off Kevin Durant’s hand and right to Curry for the three. At times it seems Draymond knows where Steph will be before he does, and it shows. They combined for 13 assists in the blowout victory against the Nets.
Last season Draymond assisted Curry 182 times, the most assists between a duo in the NBA. And this season, Green has already cracked 100 assists with a large majority of them being passed to Curry. Even if the casual fan turned on a Warriors game and watched how the two play, it would be easy to say that they have been playing together for a long time. Nine plus years to be exact, a crucial factor in the team’s recent championship runs, how well they can play together.
If you look at the last ten NBA champions, every team had star players that had been there for at least three years and built chemistry with the team. Excluding the Raptors who went up against a depleted Warriors roster in 2019 and the Miami/Lakers teams that just happened to have Lebron and other stars on their roster. Just look at the most recent champions, the Milwaukee Bucks who have had Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton on their squad since 2013.
Even last year, Zion Williamson said, “It’s amazing. I give respect when it’s due. I mean, their chemistry is unbelievable, whether it’s unspoken or spoken. They got the resume of champions, and you can’t do anything but respect that.” Little did Zion know that their chemistry would lead to great things this season, granted the roster has improved drastically but the point remains the same. Without them the team would most definitely have a way different outlook this season and every season that they were a part of the Dubs.
Curry knows this and has high praise for Draymond. Before the start of the season he said, “He’s the smartest basketball player I’ve played with, he can execute the angle of the pass, speed of the pass, timing of the pass, whatever it is- he's a master at it.” This is why they thrive as a duo, when you pair the best shooter in the game with one of the best passers as a forward, it can only lead to success. It has stood out now but don’t be surprised when Klay comes back that Green’s assists start to be more spread out. But as for now, they continue to be one of the best duos in the league with the stats and the record to back them up.
(photo credit: Andrew D. Bernstein / NBAE via Getty Images))