Steph Curry’s trainer on how star adapts with Rockets’ physicality, officiating, chemistry with Butler/Draymond (Exclusive)
Shortly after managing a diminished roster and physical defenders, Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry and his personal trainer texted each other with plenty to discuss.
They had plenty of topics. The Warriors lost Game 2 of their first-round playoff series against the Houston Rockets. Warriors forward Jimmy Butler missed most of Game 2 and might miss Game 3 on Saturday after suffering a pelvis contusion. Warriors guard Brandin Podziemski went scoreless and missed all five of his shots in only 14 minutes before sitting with an illness. Amid swarming defenses, Curry posted 20 points while shooting 6-for-15 from the field and 4-for-9 from deep along with nine assists and six turnovers.
But Brandon Payne, Curry’s personal trainer and founder of Accelerate Basketball, never sensed his client lamenting his circumstances during their exchanges.
“He loves this, man. He loves the playoffs,” Payne told Sportskeeda. “What competitor doesn’t? He wants to win and he wants to help the guys that are playing with him that haven’t experienced the playoffs much already. It’s about coming up with some new ideas and different things to combat what they’re facing.”
Payne spoke to Sportskeeda about Curry’s off-season regimen that partly focuses on dealing with physical defenders, Curry’s dynamic with Butler and Draymond Green this season and more.
Editor’s note: The following one-on-one conversation has been edited and condensed.
Steph Curry's trainer Brandon Payne's Exclusive
What do you make of all the developments from Game 2 with the Rockets winning, Jimmy’s injury, Podz’ illness and Steph trying to manage all of it?
Payne: “There’s definitely some adversity, new challenges and unexpected challenges. But in the playoffs, there definitely is a strategy and definitely a thought process. You can’t get too high. You can’t get too low. You’re never happy about losing a game. But they actually did their job. They got to Houston. They got Game 1. They’re in a really good position now. Three of the next five [games] are at home. You can’t ask for a better position that given the fact that they came out of the Play-In tournament. You’re playing a young, excited and athletic team. There are definitely worse positions to be in.”
How did you see Steph try to manage all of that?
Payne: “Every game has a story. Any time threats get eliminated from a game like with Jimmy Butler and Podz not feeling very well, that ups the defensive attention that Stephen is going to see. I thought Houston definitely got more aggressive on the ball and even doubling the ball. They were chasing him with doubles to make it a challenge. There weren’t quite as many guys out there that have been in that situation that knew how to help out. So they’ll learn from it. When you have guys that don’t have the same level of experience, that’s okay. You just have to be a fast learner. The silver lining is in the event that Jimmy misses a game or two, you at least have film to watch what Houston did when Jimmy was out. That gives you an idea moving forward of what they’ll do if he is out. It gives you an opportunity to come up with some answers.”
With Steph, what do you think the answers are with him dealing with their physicality, them forcing six turnovers and his shots not going in as normal?
Payne: “The answers really lie in his ability to communicate with teammates in these next couple of days on ways they collectively can deal with the physicality that they’re showing to him. It takes a team to handle that. It takes a team to understand where Steph’s opportunities are. It takes the team understanding how Houston’s going to use its physicality against them. In a seven-game series, you can’t stay constant with the same strategy. You’re learning things game to game, and you have to make adjustments. I thought Steph came up with some good answers in Game 1 and hit some pretty tough shots. In Game 2, the situation changed with the injuries and the lineups.
Houston did a really good job with being ultra-aggressive and taking things away. Now Steph and his teammates have film to come up with some new answers. It’s process over results even in the playoffs. You can be upset with the result. But your process can take a big step forward if you use the film correctly. I don’t think there’s any sense of panic. I don’t think there’s any anger or frustration. I think it’s just time to get back into the process and come up with the answers.”
Did you touch base with Steph after the game?
Payne: “We texted a little bit last night. He loves this, man. He loves the playoffs. What competitor doesn’t? He wants to win and he wants to help the guys that are playing with him that haven’t experienced the playoffs much already. It’s about coming up with some new ideas and different things to combat what they’re facing. The Rockets are doing a great job. They have a lot of interchangeable pieces on how they can switch. That’s part of the fun it. You’re seeing something unique and different. That only challenges you to get better.”
How was his demeanor?
Payne: “You can’t get too high or low in the playoffs. It’s not fun to lose a game. But they accomplished what they wanted to accomplish. They had to go down to Houston and get one. Don’t be a prisoner of the moment. Take a little bit of a bigger view of it and understand the situation with the seven-game series. Now it’s a race to three, and you have three of the games at home. I would feel pretty good about that.”
From a big-picture lens, how did you see Steph handle the two stages with managing the beginning of the season without Klay while integrating new players and then after the Jimmy trade?
Payne: “There were some challenges early in the season. You’re always looking to learn and grow. It was time for a little bit of a change. I don’t think it speaks badly about any of the players that were there. But sometimes a locker room can get a little bit flat. The energy that Jimmy brought is something new. Having new energy in the locker room went a really long way for them. There is also an edge. Jimmy brought an edge with him. There may have been a toughness that was needed and they certainly found that. That was stimulating and exciting. When you get a very excited version of Stephen Curry, that’s pretty good. You’re getting a more energized and a little bit more focused group with the feeling that you’re competing for something bigger. You want to have the feeling like you’re in the fight. You never want to feel like you’re out of the fight. When they brought Jimmy in, that really changed the energy and outlook they had as a group.”
Steph and Jimmy obviously make things easier for each other and score in different ways. What are they doing to make that fit so seamless?
Payne: “I’ll tell you what really helps – when you have a teammate that consistently gets to the free-throw line. You got a guy that can take pressure off of you because he can effectively operate in late shot-clock situations. When Jimmy gets into some one-on-ones, no matter where he is, you feel good about his chances to score with hitting a field goal or getting to the free-throw line. It alleviates some defensive pressure. You’re always going to have at least two sets of eyes on Jimmy Butler. You got his primary defender and at least one help guy. That takes two set of guys off of Stephen Curry.
I don’t think it’s just Stephen. It has helped everyone out quite a bit. Look at a guy like Quinten Post. He had struggled shooting, but as the game went in Game 2, he got more comfortable. He started to hit some shots. That’s a result of the fact that when Jimmy got there, everyone else’s confidence went up. You have supporting cast guys doing things to help. It makes a huge, huge difference. Another guy that I watched was Pat Spencer. He came in with a lot of energy. They may have found something there just for a few minutes a game. He’s proven that not only he can be an energy guy. But he can be an energy guy to makes a 3 or 2 or can get to the basket and get a layup. Though the result wasn’t there, the combination of the confidence they all gained with Jimmy coming in at the trade deadline and the confidence that happened in the game, I think it bodes well for them in the series.”
With Jimmy getting free throws and giving Steph more spacing, how have you seen him try to get the shots that he wants with Jimmy on the floor compared to before the trade?
Payne: “There is a much more patient and calculated approach. He doesn’t have to force anything. There’s a calm and relaxed feeling that comes with knowing that Jimmy can get two when he wants to get two. I think it allows Steph to be more calculated. It allows him to be more of an IQ shooter than a guy that has to take shots. That’s when Steph is at his best – when he is able to let the defense give him the answers. That’s what he does better than anybody. The defense will give him the answers he gives them the chance to tell him what they’re doing. Typically, they show their hand pretty early when they’re guarding Stephen. That really allows him to operate in his element.”
How does Steph’s dynamic with Jimmy compare to what his approach was with [Kevin] Durant?
Payne: “It’s very similar. Teams are better when everybody is playing to their strengths. I don’t think there is any superstar in history maybe that has been better about understanding how to allow superstars on their team to be themselves and be the best version of themselves while Steph is still really, really good in his role, too. From that standpoint, Steph is right at home with the addition with Jimmy. He has been here before with Durant. And with the Olympics, that was where Steph picked and chose his moments. He let everybody else be the superstars they are until his number was called. Then he needed to be the superstar. So I think all of that collective experience shows through in this situation.”
After Klay’s departure, the Warriors wanted to see how much Podz would take his game to another level. What did Steph do to try to guide him through the ups and downs of his season?
Payne: “The fact that you get to be around Steph every day, you get to see how he works every day. The work and the process never changes based on the results. You have to live on your process, not live on your results. For young guys that are getting put in a position to contribute to a team that is trying to compete at a high level and win championships, you have to understand the results can’t dictate how you work. The results can’t dictate your mental outlook and your confidence. I think that’s where being around Stephen really helps more than anything else.
It's not so much during the games. Players have to experience things in the game to learn. Failure, unfortunately, is a huge part of the development process. You have to fail to learn. Understanding that failure doesn’t define you as a player. It’s part of your process. How do you use that failure appropriately to help you get better faster. I think that’s really where Steph’s impact is made on young guys.” It’s the toughest league with the 400 best players in the world. You’re not going to be great every night. There’s going to be ups and downs. But you have to know how to utilize the information that you’re getting to make yourself better and your process better.”
Amid all the roster fluidity this season, how does Steph’s dynamic with Draymond compare to other years?
Payne: “They’re both laser-focused on winning. The surroundings around those guys keep changing. But they just keep on doing the same thing. They keep on performing, producing and winning. I just think that speaks to their chemistry, their level of competitiveness and how great they are as a pair. It’s amazing to watch the pieces around them change, but they always bring everybody up to a certain level and get everybody to play together. That is difficult to do with all the changes, but they keep on winning. Those guys are just winners at a very high level. Their leadership styles complement each other so well. Steph has been a little more vocal than he used to be, but he doesn’t have to be vocal because Draymond is vocal. They complement each other so well. Make sure you’re enjoying this and watching this as much as you can because this doesn’t come around very often, especially for the length of time these two guys have been together.”
Draymond often sets screens for Steph and Draymond is also often a playmaker when Steph is off the ball. How has their two-man game this year compared to other years considering the roster changes?
Payne: “It keeps getting better. The beauty with how they play is completely unscripted. There is so much non-verbal communication going on between those two. They give each other a look. Draymond knows how to read his cuts. Draymond knows when to finish. Draymond knows when Steph is going to cut short and double back. Those are things that you can’t really teach. It’s completely unscripted. With the communication style they have and the experience they have with playing together, they can play a game without running a play and without running a single action. That’s what makes them incredible to watch and what makes them incredibly tough to play against.
As a coaching staff, you’re looking for trends and common actions. You’re listening for calls. You’re not getting any of that with them. You’re constantly in a reactive defensive position. That is very, very frustrating. When you’re in a playoff series and you’re playing a team seven times, there are no secrets by Game 2 or 3. The actions are the actions. The calls are the calls. Those things don’t change too much. The only things that change are after timeout situations. Maybe in a baseline or out-of-bounds play, they might add something during the series. But when you’re playing against the Warriors, all of that goes out the window because they’re not making those calls. They’re not going to these common actions. They’re playing off each other. That’s what makes them so difficult to play in the playoffs. There is no real way to prepare for what they’re doing. You’re just preparing for individuals. You’re preparing for personnel. That can be tough.”
When we chatted before the season started, you mentioned that there was stuff you and Steph worked on that focused on odd-angle finishes and odd-fading finishes. What did those drills entail?
Payne: (laughs) “You saw one the other night when he was falling out of bounds on the sideline. That is a fading, twisting finish (laughs). I can sure as hell tell you that we don’t work on that shot. But that just speaks to his greatness. Those are things you work on to get him ready for those situations. We never worked on him dribbling at an angle toward the sideline and fading out of bounds and shooting with two guys in his face. That didn’t happen. But the mechanics and the recall, those are the things you’re trying to get out of with working out. It’s the ability to be physical, come out of physicality and still maintain touch. That is very hard to do. It is hard to be physical and then have touch on your shot. It’s two completely different mindsets.
The first mindset: ‘There is this guy that is 220 pounds and I have to move him, but he outweighs me by 25 pounds So I’m using a lot of power and a lot of force. The second mindset: ‘When I separate, I have to go back into having a great deal of touch. I have to get back into being able to make a shot.’ That is not as easy as he makes it look. He’s not working on specific shots. He’s just working on the body understanding how to go from being strong and playing physical with leverage to releasing that leverage and going back and playing with touch. That’s not as easy as you can do.
That’s the same thing when you get into the twisting and fading finishes. Most of the time, those twisting and fading finishes come off of some sort of physical drive. You have to be physical to create a drive line so you can get to a spot and shoot that twisting, fading finish. It’s not so much the shot. It’s everything you do before the shot. That really determines how successful you will be when you let the basketball go.”
Given what you just said that it’s more about working on his body than the actual shot, what do the drills entail?
Payne: “Exactly what you see in the game. We will put him at odd angles where he’s driving at different spots on the floor. We’ll say, ‘Go with a two-dribble, fading and twisting jumper here.’ We have dummy defenders that we’ll use that are pretty strong and have some pads where he’ll have to drive with some physicality before shooting a fade. It’s the same thing you see in a game. We’re just not working off a script. We’re working in general spots. We don’t script anything. Steph’s greatest trait is his ability to let the defense gives him the answers, and he takes what the defense gives him.”
What do the dummy defenders do to simulate Steph dealing with some physicality?
Payne: “We’re not trying to beat up on him. We’re just trying to make him push a little bit. But that’s about it. We’ve had the same guys, Brandon Thomas and Ramaundo Vaughn, have been with us for eight or nine years. Brandon Thomas is strong as an ox. Stephen always remarks how strong Brandon is when we get back into the offseason and he plays one-on-one with BT. We definitely have somebody to provide leverage over him.”
What colorful moments have come out of those matchups?
Payne: “We don’t really let Brandon play full. We’re very aware about staying out of Stephen’s landing space and things like that. But it is always funny. Steph is coming out of the NBA and playing against the greatest athletes in the world that are stronger But there is always the first or two times we do it when Steph says, ‘Damn, you’re strong!’ He always forgets how strong he is. It’s always amusing to see that. I think Brandon Thomas enjoys that quite a bit to be complimented.”
To what you extent do you all simulate Steph having to deal with the whistle not going his way considering what he faces in the playoffs?
Payne: “Not really. He’s got so much playoff experience. He can create his own playoff stuff. We always talk about the playoffs and how experience is your best teacher in the playoffs. It is a completely different game. It’s a physical game. It’s officiated differently. I wish it was officiated differently with it being more consistent. I wish when they decide to be different that they be consistent. It seems like, especially in the first round, officials are trying to figure out how physical they want to let it be. The playoffs are a world of its own. Only the guys that played in those playoffs can explain to you the difference and how to prepare for it.”
What do you expect from Steph moving forward in the playoffs?
Payne: “It's always so amazing to me how you can draw upon your experiences to really lead you in these situations. I don’t think there are many guys who are better in terms of being able to internalize all the different things they’ve been through than Steph. He has such great recall on lineup combinations, game situations and different ways he was defended. I’m seeing him figure things out so fast because he has so much experience to lean into to figure those things out. That’s what I’m amazed by at this point.
Of course, I’m amazed by his shots. But I’ve seen it so much. I know that’s going to happen. I’m amazed at how fast he’s able to figure these situations out. That’s why when you’re asking if I’m worried about this or that, my answer is no. When you have that guy on your side, you’re always going to have a good chance to win at a high level in the playoffs. He’s already been there and has already figured it out. There’s really not many guys, if any, that I would rather have on my side in the playoffs than Stephen Curry.”
Mark Medina is an NBA contributor for Athlon Sports. Follow him on X, Blue Sky, Instagram, Facebook and Threads.