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Signing Kevin Durant was unequivocally a great move for the Golden State Warriors. The addition of a second MVP alongside Stephen Curry takes pressure off of everyone, raises the Dubs’ ceiling, and dramatically increases the team’s margin for error.
And while Curry and Durant have shown a lot of chemistry together, the team has been at its most spectacular when only one plays. Apparently the one-star system works for them.
Dating back to last season, Warriors have now won 26 straight games with either Kevin Durant or Steph Curry out (not counting Kings game where both sat).
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) December 23, 2017
When you look beyond the wins and losses, it gets really interesting. Per NBAWowy, The Warriors this year have outscored teams by 14.5 points per 100 possessions with both Curry and Durant on the floor.
When Curry is on but Durant is off, that number shoots up to 21.2. But with Durant on and Curry off, the number falls down to 5.9.
These are pretty small sample sizes, so there’s a lot of noise involved. Still, the numbers are interesting.
Ultimately, the Durant and Curry pairing matters most in the postseason, when the game slows down, and the team needs as many offensive outlets as possible. But until then, it will be interesting to see if the Dubs’ streak of being unbeatable with only one of their two MVPs will continue.
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