The Golden State Warriors desperately need a backup point guard before entering the season. The player behind Stephen Curry is really the only question left for this team’s front office to have answered.
While veteran guard Avery Bradley, who has been quite the journeyman over the last few seasons, doesn’t quite fit that mold, he would be a solid option for a team that could use a solid defensive talent in their backcourt.
The Golden State Warriors have one left need to fill before the season begins, and it won’t be Avery Bradley who helps solve the problem.
The Warriors need defensive-minded players in their backcourt, one full of sharpshooters. Two-time MVP Stephen Curry needs to keep his focus on the offensive side of the court, where most of his energy is being used.
With typical lockdown defender Klay Thompson out until at least Christmas, the Warriors will rely upon Damion Lee, Jordan Poole, and Mychal Mulder to get the job done. That is unless they add rookie Moses Moody to that rotation.
Assume Moody isn’t ready to take that jump, the Warriors don’t have many options to strengthen their defense. That’s why Bradley is among the names that make quite a bit of sense for the Steve Kerr-led Dubs.
However, pump the brakes on that thinking. It’s looking “very unlikely.”
For those clamoring for, or curious about, Avery Bradley to the Warriors: Very unlikely, I'm told.
— Monte Poole (@MontePooleNBCS) August 30, 2021
Bradley is only 30 years old, so he shouldn’t be too old to be serviceable for the Warriors. However, like with Mulder and Lee, Bradley is undersized, so he doesn’t help too much on the glass.
He’s spent time with five teams over the last three seasons, most recently splitting time with the Heat and Rockets. It’s been a rough few seasons for Bradley as he’s struggled to find a franchise that values his skills.
In the 27 games he played this past season, Bradley averaged 6.4 points per game which, for a player that peaked at 16.3 per game, isn’t enough to land him on a contender during the main part of the league’s free agency period.
The Warriors don’t necessarily need him, especially since he’s struggled to play the last few seasons.
Now, he is a quality defender. That’s been his calling card. He’s been on two All-Defensive teams and is an NBA Champion. It’s tough to understand his value, but the Warriors need more of a quality facilitator than an older defensive-minded guard.
They should still be in the market for a point guard, so we’ll see who they end up adding prior to the season’s commencement.