Golden State Warriors: Debunking four myths about the second unit

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SAN ANTONIO, TX – MARCH 19: Andre Iguodala #9, Kevon Looney #5, Quinn Cook #4, and Jordan Bell #2 of the Golden State Warriors during the game against the San Antonio Spurs on March 19, 2018 at the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photos by Mark Sobhani/NBAE via Getty Images) /

Myth No. 1- The bench cannot score or play defense.

Really?

Sure you want to stick to that opinion because it is completely unfactual.

If you did your research you will recognize that the bench dominated lineup of David West, Shaun Livingston, Nick Young, Omri Cassipi and Kevon Looney is actually the best lineup in the forth quarter for the Warriors last season.

They were actually +11 in their 5.3 minutes stint together with 19 points, 7 rebounds and 6 defensive rebounds. Yes, limited, I understand; however, those players can play, and it’s obvious in their individual numbers and per 36-minute averages.

If the bench wants to score and play defense, they will. We have to take into consideration that when a pure bench lineup is in a game, it is usually in the midst of a blowout.

So why risk getting injured making a bunch of shots when you could just coast through the last couple of minutes in a game? Think about it.

Most of the bench minutes are solely to waste time, so the offensive flow is very limited. It’s not necessarily their fault they struggle scoring when they’re asked to dwindle the clock down.

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