How Many First Units are the Golden State Warriors’ Bench Unit Better Than?
By Ryan Hurlow
During the 2013-2014 season, Golden State Warriors’ fans dreaded the terrible hockey style substitutions that would bring in the likes of Steve Blake, Toney Douglas and Jordan Crawford, along with Harrison Barnes and Marreese Speights, whom all failed to make significant impacts to the game due the the isolation-heavy nature of the offense. Despite Mark Jackson having a huge hand in developing Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, he failed to utilize many of his role players correctly.
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This season has proven to be a complete turnaround. With the acquisitions of Shaun Livingston, Leandro Barbosa and Justin Holiday, along with Marreese Speights having a career year, the Golden State Warriors’ bench unit has transformed from one of the worst to one of the elite (from being ranked 23rd last year to being ranked eighth this year).
Speights has become a consistent scoring threat with his reliable midrange jumper and increased efficiency. He’s averaging 12.5 points and five rebounds while shooting a career best 52% from the field. Barnes, who looks like a completely different player this year, has switched roles with Iguodala; a strategy that has yet to fail.
Steve Kerr’s decision to move Iguodala and David Lee to the bench while promoting Barnes and Draymond Green to starting roles has given the team more balance while significantly increasing its bench production. Iguodala most recently earned the honors of NBA All-Defensive First Team while also gaining All-Star recognition in 2012. Let’s not forget that Lee is a two-time All-Star while leading the league in double-doubles just two seasons ago. Both have been hampered by hamstring injuries, but Andre is regaining his aggression while Lee is starting to find his touch around the rim again. With Andre and Lee relegated to bench duties, the Warriors’ second unit has a huge scoring advantage over the average NBA bench squad.
Thanks to Kerr and company’s redefined offensive principles and essentially position-less defense, the Warriors bench is undoubtedly better than almost every other second unit. However, it’s interesting to compare how this bench unit stacks up against some of the league’s starting squads. Using statistics per 48 minutes, the Warriors’ bench has an efficiency recap (glossary here) of 22.2, ranking them higher than the starting unit of 7 teams: the Bucks, Magic, Lakers, Timberwolves, Knicks, Pacers, and Sixers. Additionally, the bench unit shoots at 48.6% per 48 minutes, which is better than 28 teams’ starters — all but the Hawks and Clippers.
Although these statistics might seem arbitrary, it allows us to appreciate the fine job the Warriors’ coaching staff has done in creating a fluid offense while maintaining rigid defensive principles. Kerr has done a magnificent job in managing his rotations and players’ egos. As a result, the Warriors have become a deep and balanced team with chemistry and cohesion. Fans have to thank Bob Myers for bringing in the right pieces over the years and keeping this tight-knit group together during the offseason. The Warriors still have 42 games left plus the postseason, so they have yet to face their toughest challenge.