Warriors backcourt duo of Curry and Russell share offseason workout
For the first time since 2010, Steph Curry is preparing to play the majority of a season paired with someone other than Klay Thompson in the Warriors backcourt.
Golden State’s opening-night guard tandem will be Curry and D’Angelo Russell, who he’s never played with before. So it’s time to get practicing.
The pair worked out together Monday morning, evidenced by Russell’s Instagram post.
Though not as ball-dominant as Houston’s James Harden-Russell Westbrook pairing (or the Harden-Chris Paul duo that preceded it), Curry and Russell have some negotiating to do when it comes to sharing the rock.
Thompson is about as low-usage as backcourt stars come, famously scoring 60 points in December 2016 on just 11 dribbles.
Curry certainly can work without the ball, zipping around the court using screens to create open looks. Russell may be a little trickier case, but he played combo guard in his Ohio State days.
Joining Curry and Russell for their workout was teammate Damion Lee, who reportedly agreed to a new two-way contract with the Warriors Sunday.
Curry’s player development coach Brandon Payne posed with the Warriors players and others, showing off his cred the the NBA’s elite.
If Curry wants to teach Russell all the little intricacies of the Warriors’ split-cut reads, this won’t be the last workout for the pair this offseason.