The Importance of Depth: Return of #Fullsquad?

Despite the sluggish start to the game, the Golden State Warriors were able to find their footing against the Indiana Pacers, who looked to defeat the league’s best team in another trap game.

During what was a hard-fought game, the Warriors were able to weather several runs led by Luis Scola, Solomon Hill and David Wes and eventually find the offensive rhythm they were accustomed to. Indiana wore the Warriors down early on, preventing fastbreaks and forcing turnovers.

However, during the second half, the Warriors disrupted the Pacers’ offense. It was an eventful night – Klay Thompson dropped 40 points, David Lee seems to be regaining his touch, and Andrew Bogut, who was sorely missed, made a surprising return. With only Festus Ezeli still sidelined thanks to an ankle injury, the Warriors are just one player short from a fully healthy roster.

In grand scheme of things, the injuries that the Warriors have suffered may have been blessings in disguise, as different role players such as Draymond Green, Justin Holiday, Marreese Speights, and Ezeli (before he went down) were able to emerge and further improve the team’s chemistry.

More from Warriors News

• 3x champion may come to regret forgoing Golden State Warriors reunion
• Golden State Warriors: History shows USA may need Stephen Curry for more than the Olympics
• Golden State Warriors villain pours on more pain to end USA’s World Cup
• Golden State Warriors: Stephen Curry continues philanthropic efforts off the court
• The Dream starting 5 for the Warriors 5 years from now

Thompson was just one field goal short of surpassing his career high of 41 points. Forty points with six made threes isn’t anything to scoff at either. Klay’s extreme confidence and improved shot selection has been the story of his season. He’s been able to remain a reliable wing defender while shouldering a huge offensive load every night. The biggest change during this season has been his consistency as opposed to previous years where he would be hindered by terrible shooting slumps. It seems that Klay listened to all his critics and quickly patched up every hole in his game. His ability to drive effectively has truly opened up offensive options for himself and for his teammates.

David Lee was able to score 13 in 17 minutes on Wednesday night. Although he struggled since his return, he looked sharper as he was able to land his patented ambidextrous layups and hook shots, while also demonstrating his proficiency at the pick-and-roll. He appears to be moving more fluidly and has been able to re-adapt to the Warriors’ quick pace. His role may have been slightly diminished thanks to Draymond’s emergence, but Lee has had nothing but praise for his teammate, and has not complained once about his new bench assignment. Once Lee is able to score like this on a consistent basis, the Warriors bench unit could prove to be the most potent in the NBA.

Andrew Bogut’s unexpected return was perhaps the biggest storyline on Wednesday night. Bogut missed the last 12 games recovering from recovering from knee chondromalacia and bone edema. During Bogut’s absence, the Warriors managed to beat great teams like the Mavericks, Rockets, Raptors and Thunder (twice) culminating into a 10-3 record without the big man. They were also able to remain a top 3 defensive team thanks to Draymond Green’s efforts and great defensive intensity from the team overall.

Although the Warriors’ Bogut-less run was rather impressive, his presence is invaluable. His interior defense and rebounding was absolutely needed during the losses to Memphis and the Clippers, who were able to bully the Warriors in the paint. Bogut was limited to only 15 minutes in his return, but he made an immediate impact with 4 points and 8 rebounds. He came off the highest paid bench in the league alongside Andre Iguodala and Lee while Speights started at center, further showcasing the Warriors’ depth. Bogut showed some expected signs of rust, unable to convert an early alley-oop pass from Curry. Kerr will probably keep Bogut’s playing time relatively limited until he feels 100%. The ultimate goal however would be to have a fully healthy Bogut for the playoffs.

The NBA season isn’t even halfway over, with still 49 games to go not including the post-season. However, Warriors fans must feel elated from watching what could be the best Warriors squad in the history of the franchise. Yes, the Warriors have a legitimate MVP candidate in Stephen Curry; however, team chemistry and depth might still be criminally underrated in this league.

This team still has so much to prove, but it’s rare to find a group of players who demonstrate this amount of unselfishness and genuinely enjoy playing with each other. The Warriors have a lineup that goes 9-10 deep at the moment but they may not have reached their peak just yet. When Ezeli returns and the team learns to play with Bogut and Lee fully re-integrated into the lineup, we could bear witness to the deepest and most balanced squad in the league.

Next: Justin Holiday's Rise To Relevancy With Golden State Warriors