"Everybody’s either a threat to shoot or is going to make the right play" - Stephen Curry on his Golden State Warriors teammates

Gary Payton II and Damion Lee of the Golden State Warriors shower Stephen Curry with water.

Stephen Curry lauded his Golden State Warriors teammates after their opening-night win against LeBron James and the LA Lakers on Tuesday.

The Warriors won despite James and Anthony Davis scoring 30+ points, while Curry shot 5-21 from the field and 2-8 from downtown. However, their superior ball movement and unselfish passing helped them steal a win at the Staples Center.

Speaking about his Warriors teammates' willingness to fight with the 'next man up' mentality as he endured a poor outing, Curry said:

"It means a lot to know that you can make the right play. See the attention...double-team, triple-team, get rid of it and everybody is either a threat to shoot or is going to make the right play, move the ball."

"High IQ is huge, and the second unit that started the fourth quarter gave us a good cushion while the starters were on the bench, and we took advantage of it in the last six minutes."

Stephen Curry also spoke about how the Warriors' system is centered around him getting attention while the rest of the players move the ball well. On days Curry has poor shooting nights, like he did against the LA Lakers, the other Warriors players ensured that the team's offense did not suffer. Curry hoped that this facet of the team would serve the Warriors well this season, saying:

"We always talk about the 'Strength in Numbers' mentality and how we play, try to create our offense is predicated on me drawing attention and then moving the ball. If everybody buys into the fact.. we don't know whose gonna be there every night... (but) if everybody is going to contribute to that style, should be a good season."

“Everybody’s either a threat to shoot or is going to make the right play —move the ball. High IQ is huge.”

Steph Curry says it means a lot to have teammates that pick up the slack when he’s struggling. 💯 https://t.co/fTa1hE9DM8

Stephen Curry had 21 points on 5-21 shooting along with ten assists and ten rebounds for his eighth career triple-double. The Golden State Warriors saw incredible production from Nemanja Bjelica off the bench, who was one of the game's key players.

He made every right play in the final quarter, sparking the Warriors' comeback even with Curry on the bench. Bjelica showed glimpses of his Serbian peer Nikola Jokic with his passing. He dropped 15 points, 11 rebounds and four assists in 26 minutes off the bench for the Golden State Warriors on the night.

Staples was star-studded tonight: LeBron! Russ! AD! Melo! Rondo! Dwight! Steph! Draymond! Wiggins! And Bjelica took over the game.

Stephen Curry and head coach Steve Kerr believe the Golden State Warriors could have a great season

Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors in a preseason game [Source: ESPN]

Stephen Curry said that if everyone contributed to the team's playing style, the Warriors could have a good season. Warriors head coach Steve Kerr, on the 95.7 The Game's 'Damon & Ratto', concurred with Curry, and said about the Golden State Warriors' system:

"When I've been here, we’ve always played a style that really encourages passing from every spot...The way our system is designed, the way Steph and Draymond, the way defenses respond to Steph. We’re just best when we have guys who can pass on the floor."

Kerr also spoke glowingly about Nemanja Bjelica. He said that the team isn't reducing his role to a spot-up shooter or a pick-and-pop partner for Curry. They want him to unleash his full repertoire. He said in this regard:

"(Bjelica) is in a position now with our team to make plays, because we’re not just asking him to be a 3-point shooter; we’re asking him to be a valuable passer and playmaker in our style, and I think he’s really enjoying it."

You can tell Draymond Green is enjoying his frontcourt offensive fit with Nemanja Bjelica: “I didn’t know Belly could make plays like that off the dribble. I had no fucking clue.” https://t.co/iSEfsW5gC9

The Golden State Warriors' ball movement on the opening night of the 2021-22 NBA season was simply imperious. They bagged 30 assists on 41 made baskets, which is an incredible ratio. Last season, they were 26-4 when they registered more than 30 assists.