5 Obstacles the Warriors Need to Overcome
4. Frontcourt Depth
The Warriors have a good bench. Shaun Livingston, Andre Iguodala, and Leandro Barbosa are all integral pieces to what has made Golden State so great.
Unfortunately, they don’t have many frontcourt options off the bench. The Green/Bogut tandem is one of the best in the league. Festus Ezeli would probably find himself in the starting five for at least half of the league’s teams. That’s if he could stay healthy, of course.
Ezeli, a very good defensive center, found a role in the offense finishing up alley-oops. But he’s now had surgery on both his knees. So there’s some health concern there.
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Marreese Speights has regressed from last season. Never a great defender, Speights became very useful knocking down midrange jumpers off pick-and-pops and taking the occasional charge. For whatever reason, he hasn’t been able to get his jumper going at all as of yet. Jason Thompson has not given the Warriors anything. And Kevon Looney has played two games since recovering from hip surgery.
Harrison Barnes can handle backup 4 minutes and Green can play the 5 in small-ball lineups. But extended periods in those roles can take a toll on their bodies. Steve Kerr and the Warriors will need to find a way to get Speights going and to ease Kevon Looney into a role where he can eat some minutes.
Next: A Thunderous Problem