The days of Draymond Green running the Warriors fastbreak, with Stephen Curry leaking out and Kevin Durant trailing seem like ages ago, although the 2019 edition of Golden State is trying their best to mimic that type of ball movement.
The Warriors championship run was headlined by “the Splash Brothers” long-range shooting and the dominance of Durant, but Golden State, at its core, was a passing team. The four All-Star lineups whipped the ball around the court at a frenetic pace, overwhelming opposing teams at times.
While the 2019 club isn’t overwhelming anyone with a league-worst 5-22 record, the Warriors are leading the NBA in sharing the rock. The Warriors have registered the most passes made (331.9) and passes received (332.6) per game throughout the first quarter of the NBA season.
This no-look pass from D-Lo 🚫👀 pic.twitter.com/q6fFHlJw08
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) December 10, 2019
The effort is there when it comes to moving the basketball around the floor, but Golden State just isn’t finishing. The Warriors are only averaging 23.7 assists per game, which ranks 18th in the NBA. Before this year, the Warriors have led the NBA in assists per game since the 2014-15 season.
D’Angelo Russell (6.1) and Draymond Green (5.9) are the only Warriors creating dimes; after the All-Star pairing, their assists numbers fall off with Alec Burks, the next man up at 2.9 assists per game.
D-Lo dropping it off to GRIII pic.twitter.com/vLBrHFjs0o
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) December 10, 2019
Even with Golden State dealing with injuries and talent drop off from last season, the team isn’t forcing shots. Kerr’s offense, led by Green and Russell, is still trying to move the ball at a high rate through their passing.
The Warriors still lack the three-point range that Curry and Klay Thompson brought to the offense. However, the fact Kerr can instill some resemblance of his former offense based on ball-movement with a completely different roster is a positive sign for the future.