Bench Squad Helps Keep Warriors Afloat in Game 2
All year long, the Golden State Warriors have separated themselves from the other top teams in part due to their depth.
The bench unit’s play has given Steve Kerr the luxury of resting his starters for extended periods of time. For most teams, shortening the rotation and riding the starters a little more isn’t too difficult. The Warriors’ regular season success, on the other hand, relied so much on the bench’s productivity that Kerr has had to try to find a balance.
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In Game 1 against the New Orleans Pelicans, Kerr tried to shorten the rotation with only Shaun Livingston and Andre Iguodala playing over 13 minutes. He never went with a full bench unit, sprinkling in Leandro Barbosa, Livingston, and Iguodala in with the staters. The bench combined for 3-12 shooting with only three assists. The Warriors let a 25-point lead slip away eventually only winning by seven points. It seemed that tired legs overcame Golden State’s starters as Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson uncharacteristically missed a combined six free throws.
After falling behind early in Game 2, trailing the Pelicans by as much as 13 in the first quarter, Kerr turned to his bench in the second period. Marreese Speights (who only played one minute in Game 1), Livingston, Barbosa, and Iguodala all played together and brought Golden State back into the game. Outscoring the Pelicans 15-11 until Curry and the rest of the starters returned to the game with 6:24 left in the half, the bench brought the team and Oracle Arena to life.
April 20, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors center
Marreese Speights(5) celebrates with forward
Draymond Green(23) and guard
Andre Iguodala(9) during the second quarter in game two of the second round of the NBA Playoffs against the New Orleans Pelicans at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Barbosa looked spry and finished with 12 points in 15 minutes. Speights, who only scored 5 points on 2-7 shooting, gave the Warriors a defensive boost, blocking two shots. Livingston improved from -21 in Game 1 to +7 in Game 2.
Overall, the bench scored 25 points and dished out 7 assists. The bench played like they’ve played all year long. They played fast and free. They pushed and moved the ball. Most importantly they gave the starters much-needed rest in a tough game.
Speaking on the bench’s performance, Draymond Green told Marcus Thompson of the Bay Area News Group:
"“One thing we really hung our hat on all year and really depended on all year is our depth. After Game 1, coach said ‘Hey I’m going to play more guys in Game 2.’ That first quarter, after that we were looking for a boost. And our second unit came in and they gave us a boost. No one will write about it. Nobody will say it. But that won us that game. When they left out the game, we were still down seven. But they changed the complete pace, tempo of the game. We were getting punched, and getting punched, and getting punched. The second unit came in and threw a few blows and got them on their heels. Then the first unit came back in and ended up taking the lead back. But the second unit in the second quarter won us that game because they changed the tempo into our favor. Throughout the course of the season, they’ve done that multiple times. And we needed it tonight and they stepped up big for us.”"
Kerr, like any coach, has the tough task of finding the right balance of starters and bench. For players like Iguodala and Speights to succeed, they need to be surrounded by the right players. Speights and Livingston have an undeniable chemistry that tends to result in a Speights mid-range jumper pretty much whenever they want it. The Warriors shouldn’t shy away from playing their bench. Though they sometimes can give up leads and struggle to score the ball, the rewards are much greater than the risks.
Kerr made the right call in Game 2 playing more guys more minutes. He put his players in a position to succeed and the second quarter showed that. The Warriors’ bench might be better than some playoff starting fives and they definitely have an advantage over most, if not all, other second units.
Though the starters should surely carry a heavier load in the playoffs, resting them for stretches has its benefits. The Warriors have stars like Curry and Thompson, but they’re a team in every sense of the word. The bench has helped them become the great team they are and in Game 2, they kept the team afloat as the starters rested and made their adjustments.