Russell Westbrook to Kevin Durant
On January 8th, 2011 the Memphis Grizzlies matched up with the Oklahoma City Thunder. Kevin Durant scored 28 of his 40 points in the 2nd half, leading the Thunder to 109 to 100 victory.
The Westbrook-Durant combination proved pivotal in the 2nd half. On 13 passes from Westbrook, Durant recorded a healthy one point per touch, well over his .6 points per touch average throughout the course of the game. This level of efficiency was achieved while Durant attempted a field goal on 62.5% of touches where he received a pass from Westbrook.
The following information illustrates the effectiveness of the Westbrook to Durant combination.
Westbrook to Durant
| Passes Made: | 13 |
| Points: | 13 |
| Points Per Touch: | 1.0 |
| Westbrook Assists: | 4/13 31% |
| FGM-FGA: | 5/8 |
| FGA%: | 62.5% |
| Average Dribbles: | 1.53 |
| Average Time: | 2.48 seconds |
| Durant Pass %: | 31% |
| # | Quarter | Time | Dribbles | Touch Time | Result | Video |
| 1 | 3 | 10:35 | 0 | 0.8 sec | 2pt FG Missed |  |
| 2 | 3 | 8:34 | 0 | 0.7 sec | Pass to Westbrook | |
| 3 | 3 | 5:34 | 0 | 1.1 sec | 2pt FG Made | |
| 4 | 3 | 4:21 | 6 | 5.6 sec | 2pt FG Made | |
| 5 | 3 | 3:04 | 0 | 0.6 sec | 3pt FG Made | |
| 6 | 4 | 7:11 | 0 | 0.7 sec | 2pt FG Made | |
| 7 | 4 | 6:34 | 2 | 1.8 sec | Pass to Westbrook | |
| 8 | 4 | 4:33 | 3 | 6.9 sec | Pass to Westbrook | |
| 9 | 4 | 4:02 | 0 | 0.3 sec | Pass to Westbrook | |
| 10 | 4 | 3:31 | 0 | 0.7 sec | 3pt FG Missed | |
| 11 | 4 | 2:00 | 7 | 6.3 sec | Shooting Foul on Gay | |
| 12 | 4 | 1:18 | 2 | 3.4 sec | 2pt FG Made | |
| 13 | 4 | :38.4 | 0 | 3.4 sec | 2pt FG Missed | |
Monta Ellis – Stephen Curry Player Comparison
Monta Ellis and Stephen Curry are critical components of the Golden State Warriors offense. Over the course of 14 games in which the two players were analyzed, Curry and Ellis combined for 41% of the Warriors points and 49% of their assists. As they go the Warriors go.
Player Posession
Within the Golden State offense, Curry and Ellis dominate the ball, accounting for 58% of the overall time Golden State possesses the ball.
In the 14 games analyzed, Curry played almost 100 minutes less of game action, but only trailed Ellis by 11 touches resulting in 2 touches per minute for Curry and 1.7 for Ellis.
While Ellis is much more willing to shoot, hoisting a shot for every 3 touches, the players are remarkably similar when it comes to taking care of the ball, averaging a turnover per every 21 touches.
| Possession Metrics | ||
| Ellis | Curry | |
| Touches | 948 | 937 |
| Touches Per Minute | 1.7 | 2.04 |
| Touches Per FTA | 11.28 | 22.31 |
| Points Per Touch | 0.38 | 0.29 |
| Touches Per Pass | 1.59 | 1.36 |
| Touches Per Shot | 3.09 | 4.96 |
| Touches Per Turnover | 21.55 | 21.79 |
| Touches Per Assist | 12 | 10.65 |
Curry demonstrates a slight edge in playmaking ability, averaging 6.29 assists and 1.83 secondary assists per game, totaling 8.12. That is 1.15 more baskets created per game for his teammates than Ellis. The Warriors are shooting 51.5% from Ellis passes compared to 44.6% off passes from Curry.
Ellis has proven to be a more capable scorer due to his ability to reach the charity stripe, averaging 11.28 touches per FTA. Curry’s role as a spot up shooter and ball handler has led to a higher touches per FTA of 22.31.
| Catch and Shoot | ||
| Ellis | Curry | |
| FGM | 28 | 37 |
| FGA | 75 | 65 |
| FGA Per Game | 4.2 | 3.8 |
| FG% | 0.373 | 0.569 |
| 3PA | 16 | 27 |
| 3PM | 47 | 48 |
| 3P% | 0.340 | 0.563 |
Catch and Shoot
While Curry is used as a primary ball handler for the Warriors, SportVU Hoops data suggests Curry should be leveraged more as a scoring option off the ball.
In catch and shoot situations Curry is shooting a remarkable 57% (37/65) from the field. Curry is also shooting 56% (27/48) on catch and shoot situations from downtown. Despite his effectiveness in the catch and shoot situation they are only 28% of his attempts (3.8/13.5).
Ellis is much less effective as a catch and shoot weapon, only converting on 37% (28/75) on such attempts. Ellis is shooting 34% (16/47) on catch and shoot attempts from 3.
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