In Curry, Thompson and Green’s return to the playoffs, a new ‘death
lineup’ is created
The Golden State Warriors' Big 3 returned to the playoffs for the first
time in 1,038 days. Poole and Wiggins may be the new keys to a new
lethal lineup
>SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA – APRIL 16: Golden State Warriors’ Stephen
Curry (30) and Klay Thompson (11) congratulate Draymond Green (23) after
scoring against the Denver Nuggets in the fourth quarter of Game 1 of
their NBA first round playoff series at Chase Center in San Francisco,
Calif., on Saturday, April 16, 2022. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
>SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA – APRIL 16: Golden State Warriors’ Stephen
Curry (30) and Klay Thompson (11) congratulate Draymond Green (23) after
scoring against the Denver Nuggets in the fourth quarter of Game 1 of
their NBA first round playoff series at Chase Center in San Francisco,
Calif., on Saturday, April 16, 2022. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
By SHAYNA RUBIN | srubin@bayareanewsgroup.com | Bay Area News Group
PUBLISHED: April 17, 2022 at 5:00 a.m. | UPDATED: April 18, 2022 at 2:50
a.m.
https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2022/04/17/in-curry-thompson-and-greens-return-to-the-playoffs-a-new-death-lineup-is-created/

SAN FRANCISCO — The Warriors needed just four minutes to win. All it
took was a lineup they’d never used.

Of course, that lineup featured Golden State’s Big 3 — Steph Curry,
Draymond Green and Klay Thompson. A group that reunited on the playoff
stage for the first time in 1,038 days after playing just 11 minutes
together in the regular season.

Within a dominant Game 1 win against the Denver Nuggets, the veteran
trio that sharpened their playoff teeth playing in the 2015 Warriors’
“death lineup” might’ve found themselves a new lethal closing crew.

This lineup is nameless still, but potentially deadly: Curry, Thompson,
Green, Jordan Poole and Andrew Wiggins.

Toying with a close game near the end of the first half, down three with
just over four minutes left, coach Steve Kerr deployed the small-ball
group. They ended the half with an 11-point lead they rolled into a
123-107 rout of Denver on Saturday night.

“It’s pretty lethal,” Poole said. “It’s pretty lethal being able to have
a lot of off-ball action for these guys and as soon as they get any
daylight just trying to find a way to get them the rock and be
aggressive, and especially for those two guys, trying to get them as
easy shots as possible to get them going. If they get easy looks, open
looks, they are cash and they are knock down. Just trying to play the
right way to be honest.”

Kerr has often flirted with this three-guard lineup, but injuries
prevented the full-go. Thompson didn’t return from his injuries until
Jan. 9, which is when Green fell with his back injury. A Wiggins illness
followed by Curry’s foot sprain kept this particular five off the court
together all year.

And though this lineup made their debut in the playoffs, it’s clear it
could be their silver bullet. In those few minutes to close out the
first half, a sluggish offensive pace shifted into high gear with more
transition opportunities. That exploited Denver’s weak perimeter defense
and somewhat neutralize likely MVP Nikola Jokic — not the fastest
runner, to his own admission.

The four-minute run began with a Poole 3-pointer that tied the game
43-43, then a Poole and-1 layup and tongue wag to the elated Chase
Center crowd that’s learned with this group when a playoff run is brewing.

Minutes later, Poole made a quick inbound pass to Green, who found
Thompson at the three-point line before the Nuggets defense could gather
themselves — prompting Thompson to breeze by Jokic into open space for a
layup. Thompson added on a 3-pointer at the top of the arc two
possessions later on a feed from Poole.

Curry — playing off the bench in his first game back from injury —
scored his first points next, catching Aaron Gordon sleeping on defense
and cutting to the basket for a quick Green feed and layup. Curry
punctuated the run with his first 3-pointer of the game to give the
Warriors a double-digit lead with seconds remaining.

A whole half remained, but the game was over. Maybe this first-round
series, too.

“When you look at it on paper, what we all can do, there’s just a lot of
space on the floor,” Curry said. “A lot of shooting, a lot of
playmaking; and if we can defend and rebound, you push in transition,
it’s really hard to guard us. Technically, I guess, we’re undersized,
but you have to bring a defensive force and effort and energy, and then
you can again just turn it into an advantage on the other end of the floor.”

Poole finished the night with 30 points, Thompson with 19 and Curry and
Wiggins finished with 16 each. In one of his most impressive games of
the season, Wiggins collected nine rebounds, too.

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With death lineups, though, collective effort means more than individual
performance. In one game played, this new closing unit holds a
plus-127.3 net rating — totaling from a 181 offensive rating and 54
defensive rating. With the game blown out, the group of five hit the
bench early. But bet they might be finishing off some games.

This group played five minutes together — their defense held together by
Draymond Green’s ability to get under Jokic and limit his production on
offense — but a few minutes are plenty to win a game.

“Even if we are pretty comfortable playing together, we haven’t played
together,” Poole said. “But being able to feel each other out and how
dangerous we are and finding ways to get stops and getting out in
transition, we were able to capitalize.”

--
Shayna Rubin | Oakland Athletics reporter