The Golden State Warriors have certainly had their failures in terms of player development and acquisition over the past few years.
They've sought out an additional, slashing scorer, a rim-protecting, minutes-eating center, and a true point guard to help relieve some of Stephen Curry's burden over the course of the regular season. By the time we reached the end of 2025-26, it wasn't clear if they had found an answer on any of those fronts.
Yaxel Lendeborg may certainly come to fill that first role, and Kristaps Porzingis, if healthy, can take on the second relatively easily. But as Curry continues to age and encounter new health concerns, that third category is more important than it's ever been.
Thankfully, Golden State seems to have found a real option in Brandon Williams—at least through two preseason games. Williams finished the matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers last night with 10 points on 3-of-6 shooting from the field, tacking on two rebounds, one assist, a steal, and a block in just over 18 minutes. He did have five turnovers on the night, which wasn't the most inspiring sign of his ability to operate primarily in an on-ball role this season.
But Steve Kerr seems comfortable handing him those keys after the season he had with the Dallas Mavericks in 2025-26, and if Williams is able to fill that role over the course of the season, his speed and playmaking abilities may be the jolt of energy Golden State's bench unit desperately needs.
Brandon Williams is fast—and that could quickly become the key to the Warriors' bench identity
The conversation surrounding Golden State's bench over the past few seasons has largely centered around individual players. Who do they have that can consistently create their own shot with Curry off the court, thus allowing Kerr to rest the superstar more frequently over the course of the regular season? The potential answers to that question, for a while, have been few and far between.
Williams isn't necessarily that type of player. He doesn't have a consistent track record from beyond the arc—having shot just 28% from there over the course of his four-year career—and he doesn't have the sort of interior game you'd look for in that sort of guard. But he does get to the rim frequently, and he converts once he's there. He made 71.3% of his at-rim attempts last season with Dallas, and he finished seventh among all bench guards in efficiency within five feet of the basket (filtered for at least four attempts per game in that range).
More importantly, though, Kerr has been most impressed by Williams' speed and fluidity in transition. Kerr called Williams the "fastest guy" he's ever coached, and part of his focus this season is to improve Golden State's transition offense. The Warriors were the fourth-lowest scoring team in transition last season.
When we look at the Warriors' bench unit this season, then, it needs to be in the collective sense—the focus should be on building a true offensive identity when Curry is off the court, not just identifying scorers.
Pairing Williams and De'Anthony Melton off the bench should give Golden State a major boost of speed and potency in transition when they want it, and the team also has perimeter shooters in Gui Santos, Will Richard, LJ Cryer, and Al Horford to help take advantage of the opportunities that spawn from that.
Having someone like Williams, then, who's confident with the ball in his hands and running the offense in transition, could finally grant Golden State the key they've been searching for to unlocking a fully capable bench unit. We'll need to see how the rest of the preseason plays out, but that feels like a major storyline to watch over the coming weeks.
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