Volume 5: Unrivaled

"Watch the defense!" But D'Antoni was not afraid of Wiggins and Jalen Brown's three-pointers. Other than tightly guarding Curry, he was willing to leave everyone else open. This was also because neither side had any problems offensively. The Wiggins + Looney combination simply could not defend Harden and Capela's pick-and-roll, while Jalen Brown + Looney could not stop Paul and Capela's pick-and-roll either. Against Luc Mbah a Moute, Ariza, and Tucker, the ball-handling offense of Jalen Brown, Brogdon, and Bogdan was more than enough. Harden did not shoot a three directly. Since last season, he had rarely used screens to pull up immediately from three, preferring to dribble and find his rhythm before shooting. No team dared to leave Curry open from three anymore. No matter how far he was from the three-point line, they had to stay attached to him, or he might suddenly bury a soul-crushing ultra-deep three. Capela, who had been ready, immediately abandoned Looney and stepped up to help. Facing the hedge and pursuit, Curry had no room to shoot. With a flick of his wrist, he whipped the ball to Wiggins, who had gotten free. On the next possession, Harden isolated Wiggins and hit a step-back three, 9:7. Curry brought the ball across half court, and Paul stepped up, stopping one stride in front of him. If no opening emerged, Curry and Antetokounmpo would directly hunt mismatches, drawing the defense and creating open looks for their teammates. D'Antoni had never expected these Warriors role players to play like stars. Having Antetokounmpo run the motion offense would have been a waste of his talent. The Warriors' greatest advantage used to be their perimeter shooting, which could create cutting opportunities for Antetokounmpo. Now Antetokounmpo himself was the Warriors' advantage, and it was his turn to create opportunities