Golden State Warriors: Curbing Your Enthusiasm for Andre Iguodala

4. Bye-Bye Bench

April 09, 2013; Oakland, CA, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves center Greg Stiemsma (34) swats away the shot by Golden State Warriors point guard Jarrett Jack (2) during the first quarter at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

As you may have noticed, most of these points are not directly related to Iguodala, rather they are negative externalities of the deal that acquired him, and this one is no exception. Post-trade, the Warriors had to renounce their rights to both Jarrett Jack and Carl Landry to get under the cap, and by doing so, effectively took themselves out of the running for the two veterans.

While Jack was not always the most liked Warrior, he was an essential piece for them during the playoffs and regular season. He finished third in Sixth Man of the Year voting for a reason, after all: he provided instant offense off the bench and attacked parts of the floor that the other Dubs’ wings were not particularly adept at. I already wrote a piece about Jack’s 2012-13 season and the conclusion was obvious: he is one of the best, if not the best off-the-bench point guards in the league.

Losing Landry was similarly painful because he always seemed to be playing with a grittiness and dedication. Though he might not have been the best defender, he was always trying to keep himself in front of his man and contest shots. Landry displayed offensive versatility, whether it was through driving through contact to the rim or stepping out and hitting the 18-foot jumper.

Though the management has attempted to fill in the voids left by Jack and Landry, you can’t just replace chemistry with stats. Even if Toney Douglas and Marreese Speights end up being statistically even or better, they can’t provide the same locker room leadership and direction on the court.