Playing Poole with Steph, Klay could unlock Warriors' offense

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Amid a sluggish stretch in which Steph Curry is slumping, Jordan Poole is adjusting, and Klay Thompson still is finding his sea legs, the Warriors might have found the key to unlocking their offensive identity.

On Tuesday, during their 130-92 thrashing of the Dallas Mavericks at Chase Center, the Warriors tweaked Thompson's rotation, having him return to the court at the start of the second quarter as part of a lineup that included Curry and Poole.

This grouping, which also included rookie Jonathan Kuminga, had Thompson slide over to the other wing spot usually occupied by Andrew Wiggins. With three knockdown shooters on the floor together, the Warriors force defenses to pick who, if anyone, they wish to double and believe it can help open up things for all three dynamic scorers, especially Curry.

"We've been looking forward to trying to get them on the court together just because of the playmaking and the shooting," coach Steve Kerr said after the game. "The last month or so as we have struggled offensively, opponents have really loaded up on Steph, and we haven't been able to play lineups like that. So to get those three on the floor together -- you've got great spacing, great shooting, playmaking, the ability to put the ball on the floor -- and they'll make defenses pay for overloading toward Steph, and that's really helpful."

Kerr and the Warriors still are trying to get used to their new reality with Thompson back and Poole coming off the bench. On Tuesday against the Mavs, Poole had his best game while playing alongside Thompson and showed how dangerous the Warriors' offense could be with him thriving in the Sixth Man role.

“If he can attack the way he did tonight, be aggressive while coming off the bench, it gives us more punch with that second unit while Steph is off the floor,” Kerr said. “But if we can mix him in with Steph and Klay as well, like we did tonight, it gives us another lineup combination that’s a totally different look to what teams have been used to seeing. It could be a great role for him, but he has to grow comfortable in it.”

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As the Warriors continue to search for the offensive rhythm and consistency that has alluded them for the past month, Kerr knows the key to snapping out of their funk lies in the lethal wrist flicks of Curry, Thompson and Poole.

Perhaps the easiest way to get all three going is to play them together, making all of their lives easier. Having three elite shooters on the floor stretches a defense and opens up lanes for a guy like Kuminga to punish defenses as a cutter.

As Kerr noted, having Poole and Thompson alongside Curry asks defenses to either stop loading up to stop Curry or live with two knockdown shooters who can punish off the dribble operating in space.

It presents defenses with a dilemma to which there is no easy way to solve. Letting Curry cook is a death sentence, but Thompson and Poole are just as capable of flambeeing a defense. Sprinkle in Kuminga, or Andrew Wiggins, and the eventual return of Draymond Green, and Kerr might have found a lineup that gives him the answer to any question a defense presents.

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