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Golden State’s midseason awards

By Carlos Murillo

January 12, 2017; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Kevin Durant (35), guard Stephen Curry (30), and guard Klay Thompson (11) during the second quarter against the Detroit Pistons at Oracle Arena. The Warriors defeated the Pistons 127-107. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
January 12, 2017; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Kevin Durant (35), guard Stephen Curry (30), and guard Klay Thompson (11) during the second quarter against the Detroit Pistons at Oracle Arena. The Warriors defeated the Pistons 127-107. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /
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Golden State Warriors
Nov 10, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Nuggets guard Mike Miller (3) guards Golden State Warriors guard Patrick McCaw (0) in the fourth quarter at the Pepsi Center. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports /

Rookie of the Year – Patrick McCaw

This one was pretty obvious. The Warriors essentially have three rookies (four, if you count Briante Weber) since Kevon Looney only played five games last year. Patrick McCaw and Damian Jones are the only “true” first-year rookies on the team.

So, while there are a few options, McCaw wins this one and it’s not even close. He’s the best young player on the team. He’s been really solid.

Looney’s hips have turned him into the oldest player on the team. Jones, the Warriors’ first-rounder out of Vanderbilt, hasn’t done much as Golden State is slowly bringing him along after his injury. Weber hasn’t been on the team long enough.

McCaw sort of wins this by default, but that isn’t the only reason why he deserves this title. He’s genuinely been solid and has shown flashes of excellence. He can ball.

The 38th overall pick out of UNLV plays with veteran poise. At 21, he has a feel for the game that can’t be taught. He understands how to play the game in ways that Harrison Barnes never could.

McCaw’s role has been rather inconsistent as he fights Ian Clark and, to a lesser extent, Shaun Livingston for minutes. He’s played 46 games, averaging 12.4 minutes per game. He’s scoring 3.3 points, dishing out 1 assist, and hauling in 1 rebound per game.

The rookie guard is undersized. He’s rather skinny and can get pushed around, especially on the defensive end. But he has great Andre Iguodala-like hands that can swipe balls away with relative ease. He knows how to play defense, something young players often struggle to do.

His shooting has been inconsistent, partly due to mechanical oddities. He’s shooting a decent 35 percent from three, but he shot 41 percent and 42 percent in December and January respectively. So there’s room to grow, but there’s definitely promise.

McCaw has a lot of potential. He fits in very nicely in Golden State. He’s shown glimpses, from Summer League to now that he can be really good.

As he plays more and puts on some weight, he’ll take a huge leap with a chance to be a legitimate star in the league one day.

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