Down 3-2, the Golden State Warriors have questions entering Game 6. If utilized properly, Nick “Swaggy P” Young could be to the Dubs what The Hulk is to The Avengers when things look bleak: a secret weapon that even the formidable Houston Rockets won’t have an answer for.
Following a crucial Game 5 loss, the Warriors find themselves in a position they haven’t been in since 2016: facing elimination in Game 6 of the Western Conference Finals.
The key to their survival may come down to head coach Steve Kerr and Co. thinking outside the box, especially without point forward Andre Iguodala in tow. Hmm, if only there was a seldom-used flame thrower on the Warriors’ seldom-used bench that could provide a spark? That’s right; this is the part where Nick Young (surprise, surprise) comes in to save the day.
Relax, that page of the story isn’t just missing in your book; it’s missing in everyone’s. And that’s the point. Young, often considered a joke throughout the league, signed with the Warriors because he wanted to be viewed as a winner. Why not give him the chance to put his shot to good use and show this desire to the world?
The beautiful (and sometimes beastly) aspects of Young’s game lies in a place where words like ‘efficiency’ and ‘analytics’ are just window dressing. Let’s put it like this: if his influence was a cartoon character, it would be the Tasmanian Devil.
Inserting him into the rotation for more than the 12:30 and 00:31 he was used in the last two games, respectively, would give the Dubs’ offense the kind of head-spinning albeit exciting push it needs. In Game 1, Young connected on three of his five three-pointers in 15 minutes; isn’t fair to assume he could duplicate this performance and then some with more time?
In case you need a reminder of what he can do when given ample PT and touches, allow me to take you back to the season opener.
Before appearing in 80 games (his most since 2008-09 in Washington) and putting up 7.3 points per game on 41.2% shooting from the field and 37.7% from downtown this season, Young dipped the Oracle Arena in swag against the very team they are currently battling.
In his first official game as a Warrior, Young did this:
Forget advanced metrics and any other fancy stats that don’t account for the energy that Young brings when he gets his shot going. But, if we must throw some stats in there, it’s worth noting that Young’s most effective performances came when he played 20-29 minutes per game.
In the 22 games he did that in this season, he averaged 9.8 PPG and shot 43.5% from the field and 40% from three while posting a 111 offensive rating. His true shooting percentage was 59.8 and his +/- was a +7.5. Pretty solid, right?
If Kerr practices what he preached to KD last game and trusts Swaggy P (quite a task, I’m sure) with about 20-22 minutes to create some extra offense, we could see the Dubs live up to Dray’s proclamation.
When asked earlier this season by Bleacher Report’s Lance Fresh about what he would do in game-defining situations, Young answered only how a man of his caliber could:
"B/R: Game on the line, you’re open from your favorite spot, but KD and Steph are also both open. Pass or shoot?NY: Shoot that [expletive], then hit both of them with: “My bad y’all, I didn’t see y’all open. I thought the clock ran out” [laughs]."
The last thing anyone wants is for Young to take shots out of KD or Steph’s hands but bottling his zest for big moments and sprinkling it throughout the offense could create a recipe for success moving forward.
If you ask any of the Warriors about their mindset heading into Saturday, they would probably give you an answer similar to the one Draymond Green gave on Friday.
Having this level of confidence heading into a pivotal stretch is nice and all but Thursday showed us that some times having four All-Stars doesn’t always guarantee a big win.
Not to make excuses but it’s clear that the absence of Iggy has affected the team’s rotations as seen by the fact that The “Big 4” logged major minutes in the Game 4 and 5 losses.
In his absence, the Dubs have trotted out Kevon Looney, Shaun Livingston, David West and Jordan Bell to be the difference-makers and, despite playing well in spurts, they haven’t pushed the needle these last two games. Swaggy P could be the one to turn the dial up to 11.
We all know that Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson and Green can generate a wave of momentum at any moment but that fifth guy is so much more important in a series as close as this one. Not having a reliable fifth option has resulted in increased minutes for the stars and a shorter rotation and might be the reason why the team has lost two straight without Iggy.
One could argue that the Rockets’ successful seven-man rotation is more restricting but, if Eric Gordon continues to outscore the bench as he has over the last two games (38 to 16), change is a must.
Yes, the sudden subtraction of Chris Paul in Game 6 will be huge but playing Young more consistently gives the Dubs a fresh look and extra offensive firepower that could take the depleted Rockets all the way out of the series.
Next: Can Warriors avoid elimination in Game 6?
It’ll be interesting to see how the Warriors play Saturday but one thing they must do is challenge the status quo and insert Swaggy P, as shocking as that might be; their season may depend on it.