Despite being rivals in the NBA for a long time, Stephen Curry and LeBron James in Paris have looked like they've been playing together for many years. Their chemistry has been a delight to watch and has helped the Los Angeles Lakers superstar average 14.3 points (on 64.3% shooting) and a team-high 7.3 assists per game so far in the tournament.
Team USA coach Steve Kerr has devised an effective plan to take advantage of his stars' strengths. By having Curry screen for James, the latter can get a mismatch. Kerr said the strategy was something he and his staff concocted as soon as the roster shaped up. He even likened his Golden State Warriors guard to Dream Team member John Stockton.
"It's something we thought of immediately when we put the team together because Steph is like the modern-day John Stockton," Kerr said . "He's the best screening point guard in the league, in my mind. He's so physical, he's so strong. People don't really think of him for that, but teams are terrified of leaving him.
"So if he can set a screen and hold it, it's going to free somebody up. And then obviously LeBron is LeBron, so it's a good action for him," Steve added.
"Too small" action from Bron and Steph
The play James and Curry have run is aptly named "too small" because, when executed to perfection, it puts a smaller defender on Bron. Of course, opponents usually have no choice but to switch because sagging off Steph would free up arguably the greatest shooter of all time, while failing to body LeBron up could give him a free lane to the rim.
It's worth noting that Curry struggled in the group phase of the tournament. He is scoring just 7.3 points per contest while shooting 32% from the field.
Even so, his gravity and ability to space the floor for his teammates have been crucial, particularly in the Puerto Rico game when the two-time MVP finished with a game-high plus/minus of +18.
The good news for fans of the U.S. men's national basketball team is that Steph can get hot on any given day, which would spell bad news for opponents. For now, he is focused on helping his crew in other ways, including being a pest with his physicality and underrated strength.
Related: Oscar Schmidt shares how beating Team USA after a miraculous 35-point second-half performance was ‘the best part of his life’
The Curry-Stockton comp
It's only fitting then that Kerr would compare Curry to Stockton , who stood just an inch shorter and didn't fill up the stat sheets in his two Olympic stints. In the 1992 and 1996 editions of the quadrennial event, the Utah Jazz legend averaged 3.4 points and 2.5 assists per contest.
However, Stock's basketball IQ, playmaking with and without the ball, and outside shooting made him a dangerous cover for any opponent. Just ask Kerr, as he probably had nightmares taking on the nine-time NBA assists leader in the 1997 and 1998 Finals.
It's unclear how Steph reacted to his coach's comparison, but he likely welcomed it, especially since the Hall of Famer once described him as one of the best of all time .
Related: Steve Kerr on why Devin Booker has started every game for Team USA: "He's probably been the guy who's been most adaptable"
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