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Ranking 5 former players the Golden State Warriors will miss this season

By Peter O'Keefe

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - MAY 18: Spencer Dinwiddie #26 of the Dallas Mavericks shoots the ball against Otto Porter Jr. #32 and Jordan Poole #3 of the Golden State Warriors during the first quarter in Game One of the 2022 NBA Playoffs Western Conference Finals at Chase Center on May 18, 2022 in San Francisco, 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 Harry How/Getty Images)
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - MAY 18: Spencer Dinwiddie #26 of the Dallas Mavericks shoots the ball against Otto Porter Jr. #32 and Jordan Poole #3 of the Golden State Warriors during the first quarter in Game One of the 2022 NBA Playoffs Western Conference Finals at Chase Center on May 18, 2022 in San Francisco, 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 Harry How/Getty Images) /
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Otto Porter Jr. celebrates from a double decker bus during the Golden State Warriors NBA Championship victory parade along Market Street on June 20, 2022 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Patrick T. FALLON / AFP) (Photo by PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images)
Otto Porter Jr. celebrates from a double decker bus during the Golden State Warriors NBA Championship victory parade along Market Street on June 20, 2022 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Patrick T. FALLON / AFP) (Photo by PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images) /

1. Otto Porter Jr.

While his injury issues over the last 12 months means the Warriors won’t be missing the current version of Otto Porter Jr., the versatile forward the team had in 2021-22 is almost irreplaceable.

Porter’s combination of three-point shooting, rebounding and general veteran steadiness saw him become one of the unsung heroes of the 2022 championship team. He would start in the final three games over the Finals as Golden State overcame a 2-1 deficit to defeat Boston in six.

Before that Porter was an incredibly consistent performer for the Warriors, averaging 22.1 minutes across 63 regular season appearances. He would average 8.2 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.5 assists, shooting 37% from three-point range.

The former number three overall pick left Golden State for the Toronto Raptors last season, leaving a void that was practically impossible to fill. The franchise tried in the form of JaMychal Green, but that never worked out and probably wasn’t a fair expectation anyway.

The Warriors now have Dario Saric — someone with a slightly different playing style but whom the team hopes can fill the gap of a three-point shooting big. While the Croatian should prove a savvy and important free agency acquisition, it’s unlikely he becomes as valuable as Porter was.

Next. 3 key takeaways (and quotes) from Golden State Warriors media day. dark

Are we going to see Saric start games in the NBA Finals and perform like Porter did? Probably not and to be fair that’s not the expectation. The truth is that the 6’8″ forward was one of the best minimum contract signings in league history, let alone Warrior history.

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