Draymond Green and Stephen Curry have spent years operating on feel more than instruction. Green knows where Curry wants to go before he gets there, often using his positioning to clear just enough space for the Warriors’ star to work. But that same familiarity has never come without questions. The way Green sets screens for Baby Face Assassin has long hovered under scrutiny, and those doubts found fresh footing during the Golden State Warriors‘ recent loss to Portland.

A fan shared a video, star-struck watching Curry in action up close. The sequence involved him making a tough three as Jerami Grant tried to guard him. However, Green’s movement caught the attention of those analyzing the clip.

He sets two consecutive screens for Curry in a matter of seconds. Essentially, he shields the sharpshooter from avoiding a contest. It doesn’t take great math to understand that one person can’t set consecutive screens in seconds without actually being on the move. If they do, it’s usually called out by the officials for an illegal screen and an offensive foul. However, with the Warriors, officials don’t seem to see it the same way.

Throughout the Warriors’ rise in the mid-2010s and in subsequent seasons, Draymond Green’s screens have repeatedly become a focal point of controversy because opponents, analysts and fans have identified several plays that appear to cross the line into illegal or moving screens. In the 2016 playoffs, Portland guard C.J. McCollum publicly stated that Golden State sets a lot of illegal screens, arguing that Warriors screeners like Green and Andrew Bogut often move their feet or bodies in ways that aren’t regularly called by officials, which he suggested gave Golden State’s shooters extra space, a strategy he felt was underestimated by referees and hard for defenders to counter.

But when asked directly about this recurring critique, Green denied that he intentionally sets illegal screens. As he told reporters during the Warriors’ 2016 playoff run: “I don’t think I set illegal screens… Everybody else in the NBA sets the same screens we set. They just don’t got the shooters we got… Ain’t my fault they can’t get their shot off as quick as Klay and Steph can.”

Beyond that series, viral clips and social media posts have recirculated specific moments. For example, a frequently shared 2016 clip in which Green appears to grab and reposition Luol Deng to free Stephen Curry for a key 3-pointer, widely labeled as a “blatant illegal screen” that went uncalled.

More recently, in January 2024, a highly-discussed NBA Last Two Minute (L2M) report involved Draymond Green setting an illegal, moving screen on Lakers’ Jarred Vanderbilt, which freed Curry for a go-ahead three-pointer in the Warriors’ January 2024 overtime loss to the Lakers, a call the NBA later admitted was missed, causing significant fan and player frustration. 

But Bogut, who was infamous for the Warriors’ elevator play, openly admitted to setting illegal screens without the referees calling it. There’s precedent to pay particular attention to the Warriors’ actions, especially when they rank second in off-screen plays this season.

Green has never been fined or suspended by the NBA specifically for setting an illegal screen. While officials have called moving or illegal screens on him during games, treated as routine offensive fouls, the league has never issued postgame discipline tied to his screening.  The referees won’t do it, but the fans want Adam Silver to get a grip on the situation.

NBA fans call for Adam Silver to handcuff the Warriors

Fans have always felt the Warriors get away with a lot of illegal screens within the system. One fan even called it “blatant cheating.” But that’s only because it hasn’t been put to a stop. The NBA, in general, has focused heavily on protecting offensive players, mostly jump shooters.

The referee committee decided to make the ‘high five’ gesture illegal, and those calls have started to increase. Maybe it’s time for the league to feel some remorse towards the defense, too. “Nothing without illegal screens, disgusting,” an angry fan wrote. The Warriors’ screens in particular have already been called out by some notable players and coaches.

Top Stories

Unrivaled Owner Breanna Stewart Confirms Stance on Project B & Clearly Distinguishes the Two Leagues

Congratulations Pour In for WNBA HoF Sylvia Fowles After Reported Portland Fire Decision

Did Zion Williamson Slide Into Sydney Sweeney’s DMs? Fact Checking the Viral Screenshot

Caitlin Clark Shows Concerning Signs vs. Kelsey Plum During USA Camp Debut, per National Reporter

The moving screens do create an advantage for shooters like Curry, who barely need time to pull the trigger. With the pace of the game, it’s difficult for officials to narrowly look at each play. But with such a history, they should be on the lookout for such motions. Some wonder, “How is Draymond still allowed to do this?”

On the other hand, some fans feel the Warriors’ leeway on such plays evens out the complaints around Stephen Curry not getting foul calls. “Moving screen for years, talk about Steph not shooting enough free throws? Well, that’s his free throws right there,” they said. And well, the two-time MVP does benefit from the space it offers, although he is very much capable of making highly difficult shots.

The pressing issue, though, remains that the Warriors are still able to get away with illegal screens regularly. They do get called, but not as often as fans would expect. Do you think Adam Silver should do something about it? Let us know your views in the comments below.