Warriors superstar Stephen Curry had an absolutely outstanding start in the first quarter of the NBA Finals against the Celtics.
Curry had 21 points in the first quarter, hitting six 3-pointers, which is the most ever recorded in a quarter for the NBA Finals. It was as much as you could ask for if you are a fan of Golden State.
But some fans noticed that one of the reasons why Curry was so electrifying is because of Boston’s defensive decisions. During possessions when Curry ran a high ball screen, the Celtics opted for drop coverage — which was a bit unexpected, to say the least.
If you’re not familiar with drop coverage, here is how For The Win’s own Cole Huff explained it:
“For those who don’t know, the drop coverage is a defensive scheme that is essentially designed to keep the ball-handler’s scoring options limited to either a low-efficiency mid-range jumper or a contested shot at the rim. As the defender who is guarding the screener drops below the point of the screen to play safety in the paint, the other defender, who is guarding the ball, fights over the top of the screen and forces the ball-handler into no man’s land.”
Drop coverage can be effective, but by going under the screen, you’re essentially daring Curry to shoot. That’s not exactly well-advised against the greatest shooter of all time.
You can take a look at how wide-open Curry was on his 3-pointers below:
Chef Curry was cooking up in Q1 👨🍳
🔥 6 3PM | 21 PTS 🔥
Q2 Live Now on ABC pic.twitter.com/RthSWFC83h
— NBA (@NBA) June 3, 2022
The Celtics also struggled to guard Curry’s shot when he was in transition.
I’m going to assume that first-year head coach Ime Udoka had a good and thoughtful reason for playing drop coverage against the Warriors. Boston’s defense, anchored by the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart, was very good this season.
But as the game continued, it became pretty clear that you can’t dare Curry the same way they did against Kyle Lowry’s Heat. Smart, who was mic’d up, said as much to his teammates.
Marcus Smart summarized the biggest adjustment the Celtics made – higher pickup points in transition & bigs higher up so the Celtics can chase, forcing the Warriors guards into the lane. pic.twitter.com/NZeRRu7WGt
— Half Court Hoops (@HalfCourtHoops) June 3, 2022
Here is what Smart told his teammates, via The Athletic’s Jared Weiss:
“This isn’t the Heat series. We can’t start back. We have to start up. Especially if they start so high, you start up then drop cause we’re chasing. Now he goes down into the paint.”
Smart’s message was heard loud and clear and during the second quarter, Curry was held scoreless.
For those rooting for the Celtics, it was great to hear Smart suggest those adjustments. But he wasn’t the only one who noticed that drop coverage maybe wasn’t the best call.
Many, including Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton, took to Twitter to express their confusion. Here were some of the best reactions during the game:
