Golden State Warriors: 3 ways that Russell, Curry, and Thompson will work together
1. Playmaking
D’Angelo Russell is a player who was clearly built in a similar mold to the ‘Splash Brothers,’ however, there are some differences. The biggest advantage Russell has which Thompson and Curry do not have is elite court vision.
Russell is a creative passer who finds tiny windows in the defense to thread passes through the eye of a needle to reach its target.
On the offensive end, Russell may be able to replace some of what Andre Iguodala brought to the table. Iguodala had a similar flair for the pass that Russell has, and was able to ignite the crowd with his incredible dishes, especially in transition.
Russell is a particularly great passer out of pick-and-roll situations. He is 6-foot-5 which is tall for a point guard so he can see over the defense to find the open man.
He is adept at making the skip pass to the weak side corner for open threes. Curry and Thompson could feast on these shots all day long.
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Another pass which Russell is adept at, out of the pick-and-roll, is the pocket pass to the big man. He can find the big through all manner of tight spaces, with a great eye for angles.
He’s also an expert at making bounce passes with side spin on, so they can actually bounce around the defenders to reach the target.
Lastly, Russell is also a terrific transition playmaker, just like Iguodala. He is always keen to pass the ball ahead to find shooters or bigs diving to the rim. If nothing opens up for him, then he is also excellent at dribbling right up to the three-point line and bombing away himself.
Some of his transition plays can lead to real highlights and this is an area where Russell will fit in perfectly with his new team that loves to get up and down the floor at a high tempo.