3 players that must step up for the Golden State Warriors

LOS ANGELES, CA - OCTOBER 19: Nemanja Bjelica #8 of the Golden State Warriors is congratulated by Draymond Green #23 after scoring against Los Angeles Lakers during the second half at Staples Center on October 19, 2021 in Los Angeles, California. 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. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images) /

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Golden State Warriors player that must step up: Otto Porter Jr.

The preseason teased fans.

Porter Jr. was among the most-used players, and he thrived in the preseason.

Sadly, that hasn’t quite translated into the regular season for whatever reason. His conditioning could still be a work in progress, but when he’s been in, he hasn’t contributed nearly as much as his preseason dominance had fans hoping for.

Through four games, Porter Jr. is notching around 18 minutes per game yet scoring under five points per game. That’s a problem, especially for a former top-five pick that was brought to Golden State to make an impact off the bench.

He is yanking down 5.7 rebounds per game which is solid in the minutes he’s being given, but shooting just 20 percent from deep is unacceptable for a player of his caliber. That should be expected to change, and in the near future, expectations should be restored.

Hopefully, that’s sooner rather than later as the second unit could desperately use his scoring.

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