Steve Kerr praises Marquese Chriss seemingly every chance he gets which, lately, has been quite a lot.

“He’s got more skill as a passer and a screener than I realized,” Kerr has said, in one form or another, throughout the preseason.

Chriss, the surprise of Warriors’ camp, is expected to make the regular-season roster due to his ability to fit in to Golden State’s motion offense. His ability to screen for shooters, pass out of the high post and run dribble handoffs will be needed as the team waits for injured centers Willie Cauley-Stein and Kevon Looney to return.

One of the Warriors’ trademarks during the Kerr era has been big men facilitating offense. Chriss, with four assists in each of the first three preseason games, seems poised to be next in a line that includes David West, Andrew Bogut and Zaza Pachulia. Here’s a look at what has made Chriss so impressive this preseason.

Dribble handoffs

One way to boost assist numbers is to pass to Stephen Curry. Getting Curry the ball will unsurprisingly be a big part of the Warriors’ offense this season, and having a big who can set screens and create space will only help the potent shooter.

“Dribble handoff guy at the top, flipping screens, finding the right angles, screening without fouling. He’s shown a really, really good talent in that regard, and that’s a big part of our offense,” Kerr said.

This is a pretty basic side dribble handoff for Curry. The Warriors have run versions of this a million times. It’s a timing play. The West Coast offense of basketball. It’s a two-man game that involves the guard pitching it to the big man who is sealing off his man from the action. The big then sets a screen for the opponent defending the guard. The idea is to bump into the two defenders who have been wrangled into the action and create space for the shooter.

With a tip of the cap to Curry’s head fake that sent Timberwolves forward Robert Covington into some sort of brief hypnosis, Chriss’ role here is simple and yet understated. Just don’t screw it up, basically, is the job. He doesn’t, and then makes himself available on the roll. Had Karl-Anthony Towns or Covington been awake, maybe Curry would have needed to pass it back to Chriss rolling to the rim.

Here’s another example with a little more flare. Same basic play but, rather than Chriss starting from a stagnant position in the post, he keeps running until he slams into the allegedly-yoked Alex Caruso and sets Curry free.

In addition to the Bogut-like between-the-legs pass, appreciate the timing and dexterity here. Chriss could have just as easily fumbled the ball after another player slammed into him, or have waited until after the contact to pitch it back to Curry. Neither option would have created space for Curry to shoot. The between-the-legs pass was not only flashy, but necessary. It’s as if Chriss and Curry have been playing together for years, not merely weeks.

Passing on the roll

One of the things that makes Draymond Green so effective in the Warriors’ offense is his ability to pass out of the roll. Making accurate and timely passes on the move is hard, especially when in the thickets of the defense, but it’s something Green has made a career of doing. Like this.

Here, you can see Chriss doing the same thing. Sets the screen for Curry, who then finds Chriss on the roll. Chriss kicks out to an open Green in the corner who, instead, attacks the closeout and passes back to Chriss for the score.

The impressive part of this play is not just the pass on the move, but the recognition to keep moving after giving up the ball. Chriss retreats to the baseline and makes himself available again, just as he did earlier in the play by rolling after setting the screen for Curry. Multiple touches in a possession. That’s what it takes to become a hub on offense.

Timing

Kerr praises Chriss’ rhythm. “He’s got a good feel for playing with our guys.”

Here’s an example. Chriss finds Jacob Evans on the give and go. It’s simple but, again, the timing on the bounce pass while moving away from the basket is what makes it. It’s quick-hitting, but devastating.

Other times, Chriss is more patient. In this play with rookie guard Jordan Poole, Chriss seals off his man in the high post, takes the pass from Poole and then flips his screen to check the second defender and springs his teammate free.

All Poole does is run a route. Chriss does the rest.