Marreese Speights Expanding Range at Right Time

Marreese Speights is expanding his range out to the three-point line at the right time for the Golden State Warriors.

The Golden State Warriors are the best three-point shooting teams in the entire league.

This is largely based on the strength of Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, two of the greatest shooters this game has ever seen. There’s a large drop off after those two, understandably. There are few in the league that can keep up with them, but it has just as much to do with the Warriors’ inconsistencies outside of the Splash Brothers. The two combine for around nine of the team’s league-high twelve three-pointers per game.

Harrison Barnes, a reliable option last season, has disappeared, failing to knock down a long ball in seven straight games. Andre Iguodala who occasionally steps into a three-pointer or two has been hurt and is about as inconsistent as they come. Draymond Green, a viable threat from beyond the arc earlier in the season, has struggled with his shot and his confidence in it, as of late.

But the Warriors have developed a “next man up” mentality. Someone seemingly always steps up when there’s a gap that needs to be filled. Brandon Rush has played a huge role in keeping the Warriors on track for history, taking on a larger role when Barnes and Iguodala both went down with injury. Last year in the Finals, the forgotten-man David Lee came off the bench and provided balance to a team that was inexplicably down 2-1.

Enter: Marreese Speights.

Despite struggling to find his jumper for most of the season, Speights’ midrange game was a big part of the Warriors’ second unit’s offense last season. While even the most optimist Mo Buckets believers were having trouble justifying his continued playing time and apparent green light, there was always one small ounce of hope that he’d find his shot.

Speights has found it while revealing a new weapon. Instead of his typical pick-and-pop 18 footer that we had gotten used to, he’s taken a few steps back and is firing away from beyond the arc. Against the New York Knicks, Speights connected on 3/5 from three. He’s already hit 17 threes this season, two off his career total over the first seven years of his career.

A big man with shooting stroke is no longer a gimmick, but a necessary component of any real championship contender. And Speights has turned his end-of-game novelty threes into something that can become a real part of Golden State’s offense. He’s at 39.5 percent for the season and it’s not unreasonable to believe that it can stay there or even go up as he continues to get good looks. Head coach Steve Kerr clearly loves himself some Mo Buckets and Curry’s natural gravity can give Speights enough room to fire away.

If Speights can continue to hit that shot at a consistent rate, the Warriors already league-best offense is about to get scarier.