Behind The Scenes Of The Golden State Warriors Splash Brothers: It’s The Little Things (Photo: Steve Dykes / USA Today)
WARRIORS PRACTICE FACILITY, OAKLAND, CA — The Golden State Warriors backcourt shooting sensation of Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson got all the national headlines this morning after a come-from-behind win in which the so-called #SplashBrothers combined for 64 points, 51 of which came in the second half, out of a total of 69 points scored by the entire team in the second half.
Stephen A. Smith showered Curry with praise this morning on ESPN’s First Take, calling him a superstar and a “bad boy”:
But when coach Mark Jackson was asked by Diamond Leung of the Bay Area News Group post-game last night about Draymond Green‘s big minutes in place of a struggling, mismatched David Lee, Jackson was quick to point out Lee’s sacrifice for the team and also his non-stats-garnering contributions to the win, in limited minutes.
“We were trying to get it going and up until that point, David hadn’t played his best basketball defensively,” Jackson said, “They put small guys on the floor. Dorell Wright hit a couple of shots, so we were just trying to get it going and be able to defend the pick-and-roll a little better.
“At the end of the day, give David credit because I’ve been part of teams and I’ve watched teams where a starter says, ‘Forget you, Coach, I’m not going back in and if I do, I’m going to give a half-hearted effort,'” Jackson added, “He went out there and probably made the biggest play of the game, scoring one time and then setting the screen for Steph.”
The theme of doing the little things was reiterated today after practice by not only Jackson, but also Draymond Green and Harrison Barnes.
“(People) don’t remember Steph getting into the paint, kicking the ball out. They won’t remember the great swing (pass) by HB (Barnes),” Green said, “or they’ll remember Steph getting into the paint, but they won’t realize how he got into the paint, which was a phenomenal screen by David Lee. They’ll remember Klay knocking down two shots, but they won’t remember Klay getting into Damian Lillard in the 4th quarter and trying to change the game.”
The first example that popped into Barnes’s mind was Green himself.
“Draymond’s a great example. Steph — I think everyone saw those barrage of threes that he was hitting, but it was the fact that Draymond was running out there setting those screens,” Barnes said, “Bogut, for example, when guys get beat backdoor. I tried to block a shot and got dunked on, but Bogut, he can usually block those shots. When guys do those little things — Andre (Iguodala) always making the extra pass — everyone always sees the points and numbers and stuff like that, but it’s the little things. When we’re doing the little things, that allows us to win that game.”
The Warriors make it a point to ensure that the little things get done and are recognized when they do get done.
“We’re in a SportsCenter highlight era where you’re going to look at the sweet stroke of a jumpshot hitting nothing but net,” Jackson said, “but it’s the little things that make those plays possible, that put you in position to win ballgames and they won’t go unnoticed for us.”
“As you continue to play better teams, especially in the West, when you don’t do those little things, it comes out,” Barnes explained, “You can get away with those things when you’re not doing them against OKC or when you’re not doing them against the Spurs, not setting screens, not moving the ball, not boxing out, not helping, but they get exposed against great players.”
Green connected the dots and explained how a few behind-the-scenes efforts lead to a big play.
“Yeah, you gotta make the shots, but one thing we know and the world knows is that we’re capable of making shots. It’s the little things like setting that screen. If D.Lee doesn’t set that screen, then Steph doesn’t get into the paint. If Steph doesn’t get into the paint, does the defense collapse? If the defense doesn’t collapse, do we get a three?
“We know what the real truth is and you have to applaud that, because that’s what won us the game,” Green said.
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