Breakdown Series | Episode 3: Golden State Warrior’s Split Action
The scoring factor on three. One, two, three. Scoring factory. Good job. The Golden State Warriors have become synonymous with winning a lot. The Golden State Warriors are the 2015 NBA champions. The Warriors are NBA champions again. The Golden State Warriors champions once again. Back-to-back titles. Three in four years. The Golden State Warriors return to a familiar place. They’re on top of the NBA world. the fourth title in eight years. While a majority of their success has come due to the abundance of stars and superstars that they have had over the years, something that’s been overlooked is how Steve Kerr has enabled his stars to play to their strengths. One of his favorite actions for a long time is known as split action or the post splits. And today we’re going to break down what it is, why it works, and how you can implement it with your own team. What’s going on everybody? Coach Kevin with the Scoring Factory back with our third installation of our breakdown series. Today we’re going to be talking about the Golden State Warriors split action or post splits. And let’s get right into it. So, at its core, all that a split action or a post split is is an entry into the post, in this case, Jimmy Butler, with a screen being set on the perimeter, typically by or for whoever entered the ball into the post. The Warriors like to have Draymond or another big set this screen for a guard Steph Curry, Kevin Durant over the years, Klay Thompson, so that defenses can’t switch it and it makes it more difficult to guard. So we see Draymond set a screen and Curry is going to be the recipient of an open three. Here’s another example. Enter screen. There’s miscommunication and we get an open three. One of the things that makes this action so difficult to guard is it forces a ton of communication and it limits visuals on the ball. So when this ball is entered into the post, what you are typically taught as a defender is to see ball and man, the ball being in the post makes it way more difficult for those two defenders to be able to see ball and man, right? They are essentially blind to the ball. The fact that this is a center setting a screen for a guard makes it difficult to switch and we see an open three generated. Another thing that the Warriors love to do on these screens is have the screener slip right to the hoop. If this defender jumps out too early to try and cover the three on a switch, they switch a little bit too early and it allows Draymond to slip right to the hoop. We see this again here. The switch comes too early. Draymond gets an easy layup. Here’s a third example. And we’re going to see a fourth example here of a slip as whoever entered the ball goes to set a screen, a dump down, and an easy dunk. this action becomes very difficult to guard when you have back in the day three of the best shooters on the planet on your team. So when Kevin Durant, Steph Curry, and Klay Thompson are screening or setting screens for each other, they all demand respect, which makes this action really difficult to guard. So it does not have to be the person who entered the ball getting the screen. If we watch this clip back, we see that while Durant enters the ball, typically what we’ve seen so far is him go and set a screen, but in this case, we see him receive a screen, which allows him to curl to the hoop and get an open basket. The alternative is that if they help on Durant curling to the basket, it allows the big to be wide open for a three, which we’ll see here. Both defenders help Clay as he cuts to the basket. It allows Igodala to receive a wide open three. Something else they can do when whoever enters the ball is receiving the screen. If the defender goes under the screen, as it comes here, we can flip or rescreen, put the defender even more out of position, and get a wideopen three. The Warriors like to add wrinkles into this action. So, as the ball is thrown into the post here, instead of setting a screen here, we are actually going to send him back door and then set the screen for Curry so that he can come off and catch for three. It has turned a twoman action into a three-man action. Again, this forces a ton of communication and center defenders typically like to sag on screens on ball or off ball. And when you have someone that demands as much respect as a shooter as Steph Curry, it makes it really hard to guard this action when one of your players is not able to guard him on the perimeter. So, I think that this action is something that all teams can add in some capacity. Whether it’s just a twoman action as the ball is entered or if you add wrinkles and get it to a three-man action, I think this is an easy action to install at all levels and provides benefit for any and all teams. Thanks again for watching everybody. Please remember to like, subscribe, and comment what you want to see next. Follow us on our social medias at thecoringactory and I will see everybody in the next video.
Welcome back to our Breakdown Series, where we dissect the X’s and O’s behind elite basketball. In this third episode, we explore the Golden State Warriors’ iconic and highly effective Split Action.
A staple of Steve Kerr’s motion offense, Split Action has become synonymous with the Warriors’ identity, creating constant off-ball movement, forcing defensive breakdowns, and generating open looks for shooters and cutters alike.
In this video we:
● Break down the core principles behind Split Action
● Telestrate how the Warriors use timing, spacing, and reads to create advantages
● Analyze game footage to show how Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Kevin Durant, and Draymond Green execute this action at the highest level
Whether you’re a coach looking to implement motion concepts or a basketball junkie trying to understand the game’s nuances, this episode offers clear and detailed insights into one of the NBA’s most recognizable actions.
Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more in-depth basketball analysis in future episodes!
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