Shaun Livingston: The Best Backup Point Guard in the NBA

Shaun Livingston is the best backup point guard in the NBA and will take control of the reigns while Steph Curry is out with an injured knee

On Sunday afternoon, the Golden State Warriors witnessed their worst nightmare, an injury to their best player and soon-to-be MVP, Stephen Curry.

With just five seconds left in the first half, Curry slipped on the Toyota Center floor after Donatas Motiejunas tripped over James Harden and slid across the floor in front of Curry. The slide caused Curry to lose his balance and almost do the splits as he banged his knee on the floor. Trevor Ariza missed the three at the buzzer but the Warriors’ immediate concern was the health of Curry. Curry tried to return in the second half but it was clear he was not fit to play. Instead, the arguably the best backup point guard in the NBA, Shaun Livingston took over the reigns and the Warriors never looked back.

The Warriors went on to win Game 4, 121-94 after the game was tied at 56 at halftime. The Warriors dominated the third quarter, outscoring the Houston Rockets by 21 points with much of the damage being initiated by Livingston. Livingston scored 5 points, dished out 5 assists and steadying influence throughout the quarter. Draymond Green and Klay Thompson got all the accolades, which were well deserved, but it was Livingston that ran the show.

This was not the first time Livingston has stepped up big in Curry’s absence. In Games 2 and 3, he scored 32 points, dished out 9 assists and shot over 60 percent from the field. In the Warriors lone loss in Game 3, he was the only starter with a positive plus-minus, meaning when he was on the floor, the Warriors played their best.

Livingston may be the Warriors’ smartest player on the floor behind Andre Iguodala. He is not your typical point guard that shoots threes and lives off of pick-and-rolls. Instead, Livingston does most of his damage in the post and in the paint. Livingston stands at 6’7”, one of the tallest point guards in the league, uses his height against his smaller counterparts, causing a mismatch on every possession. Livingston’s game is to back down his defender and take his patented ten to twelve foot jumper from the baseline or the elbow, usually with no resistance, due his tremendous height advantage.

In previous seasons, his jumper was not as automatic as it has been this season. Livingston is shooting a career-high 54 percent from the field, providing the Warriors with yet another offensive weapon that they will need especially with Curry out an extended period of time. But it is not only Livingston’s scoring ability that makes him the best backup point guard in the NBA, he is a complete player.

Livingston lives on the block but he is not always looking to score. His passing abilities are second to none and at times, with him running the offense, the ball even moves more than with Curry on the floor. He seems to always find the open man whether it is an open three for Thompson or a cutting Green for a dunk. His pinpoint passes make it easy for his teammates to convert.

His half-court passing abilities are incredible but there is no one better in transition, running a two-on-one than Livingston. He can be going a hundred miles per hour and make the right play 95 percent of the time. When he is not making plays for others on the break, he is excellent at filling the lane and finishing at the rim, especially on the dribble-handoff. Livingston also thrives on backdoor plays whether he is the distributor or the finisher. It is incredible how effective the Warriors convert on the back door compared to other teams with Livingston being the catalyst. 

Losing Curry for possibly the entirety of the second round is going to hurt this team but the presence of Livingston will be a calming influence. He has the ultimate confidence of all of his teammates that he will be able to lead this team to victory. Livingston, much like Iguodala, does what the Warriors need him to do. If they are lacking a scoring punch, he can score. If they need help on the boards, he has that ability. If they need him a lockdown a prolific scorer, he can do that as well. All of this makes Livingston a complete player and why he is so valuable to this organization.

The Warriors’ moniker is “Strength in Numbers” and the loss of Curry will really challenge that statement. If they can overcome, Livingston will be a big reason why this team has success and repeat as champions.