Golden State Warriors’ Depth Will Pay Off in the Playoffs
By Ryan Hurlow
No Klay Thompson? No problem.
The Golden State Warriors have continued to fire on all cylinders despite the absence of Thompson, who has missed three games due to a minor ankle injury. Stephen Curry finally escaped his brief slump on Saturday night, finishing with 24 points on 8-of-18 shooting in a win over the Jazz.
When it was clear the Klay would miss at least a week, concerns about the Warriors’ firepower surfaced. Yes, the offense has heavily relied on Curry and Klay hitting their shots. However, the whole team has picked up the slack and proved itself to be the deepest in the league.
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Steve Kerr‘s goals of achieving a Spurs-esque system is coming to fruition. The Warriors hold the highest net rating at +11.7 with the next best team being the Clippers at +5.8. The overall efficiency of this team isn’t a product of just the starters. The Warriors bench unit is quietly putting up impressive numbers while racking up the wins. This is a result of the coaching staff’s extremely effective offensive and defensive systems. The bench currently ranks 10th in reserve scoring while ranking third in assists per game and seventh in efficiency.
With the best record in the Western Conference and the entire league, the Warriors possess a comfortable enough cushion to where Kerr can begin to rest his key players more often while increasing the reserves’ playing time. This not only allows the starters to stay fresh for the playoffs but also increases the confidence in every role player.
This is evident in recent games, as we’ve seen different players continue to step up when Curry and Klay aren’t producing. Anyone who watched the Warriors last season remembered the atrocity that was the bench unit, which would often lose huge leads and fail to produce any type of offense. This year, the bench is deep enough to go on crucial scoring runs and shut down teams on their own. The Warriors’ reserves currently rank first in net rating at +6.7.
Mar 18, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors guard
Andre Iguodala(9) chases down a ball around Atlanta Hawks guard
Kent Bazemore(24) during the fourth quarter at Oracle Arena. Golden State Warriors won 114-95. Mandatory Credit: Bob Stanton-USA TODAY Sports
Andre Iguodala seems to have completely regain his confidence during the last couple of weeks. He’s averaging 10.1 points on 66.7 percent shooting, 3 assists, and 1.5 steals over the last two weeks. He no longer hesitates to attack the basket, as we’ve witnessed several drives in key moments, whether it be stopping a run or extending a lead. He’s been able to provide a more consistent scoring punch off the bench while being a key facilitator and a hound on defense.
Leandro Barbosa has shown flashes of his Suns’ self as he’s helped to fill Klay’s void. Barbosa has been scorching hot from the field during the last week, averaging 14.7 points on 58.6 percent shooting. Although he struggled early in the season, he’s regained his step and his shooting touch while playing in the system and refusing to force anything.
Despite a small sample size, Harrison Barnes has perhaps shown the most impressive development recently. He’s averaging 17.5 points on a very efficient 63.6 percent shooting over the past week. His confidence has skyrocketed as he’s attempted various moves that he was hesitant to pull off earlier in the season. He has continued to thrive with the corner three but recently has shown some comfort hitting a pull-up midrange jumper as well as an assortment of aggressive drives. While there’s a good chance Barnes won’t continue his hot shooting, it is satisfying to see him finally confident enough to take matters into his own hands.
Mar 8, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Harrison Barnes (40) attempts to dribble past Los Angeles Clippers forward
Hedo Turkoglu(15) in the fourth quarter at Oracle Arena. The Warriors defeated the Clippers 106-89. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports
As the Warriors continue to roll, depth has never been more important. The effects of fatigue were apparent during the few weeks before the All-Star break. With every player stepping up, including Marreese Speights, Festus Ezeli, Justin Holiday, Shaun Livingston and James Michael McAdoo, Kerr can now afford to give his starters more rest without worrying too much about dropping games.
Rest will make a huge difference especially during the first round of the playoffs when they face someone like Russell Westbrook or Anthony Davis, who have been carrying their teams while playing close to 40 minutes per game. It appears that the entire Warriors’ squad has bought into Kerr’s winning mentality and has only one thing in mind: an NBA Championship.