There's always been a section of Golden State Warriors fans who've called for more Gui Santos minutes in Steve Kerr's rotation, and now more than ever those requests appear very much legitimate.
Santos' minutes have been incredibly impactful over the past month, yet his role continues to be rather inconsistent as Kerr leans on veteran players who've done the job for him in the past.
Gui Santos needs a consistent role in the Warriors rotation
The Brazilian forward didn't even play until the fourth-quarter of Monday's game against the L.A. Clippers when the Warriors found themselves in trouble down 12. After not playing at all in the first three-quarters, Santos extraordinarily played all but 19 seconds in the final period, such was the energy and impact he brought as Golden State fired back only to lose by a solitary point.
His ability to make the hustle plays and create extra possessions were evident from the moment he hit the floor, culminating in six points, two rebounds and an assist while finishing as a +13 in the heart-breaking defeat.
The injury absence of Gary Payton II allowed Santos to play more on Wednesday against the Milwaukee Bucks, proving impactful again as a +12 in nearly 18 minutes as the Warriors recorded an important 120-113 victory.
Since the start of December, Santos averages the 14th most minutes on the Warriors, yet leads the team in plus-minus during the same period. It's really not close either, with Santos' +78 over double third-placed Jimmy Butler (+35), while De'Anthony Melton is the only teammate in anywhere near the same vicinity at +57.
Perhaps Kerr simply believes that Santos is a short, sharp energy player who needs to be playing at 110% all the time, and that his impact would be mitigated with more extended minutes in the rotation. That might be true, but we don't really know for sure and therefore the frustration among fans is seemingly justified.
What makes it worse is that Santos, a 6'7" forward, is often overlooked in favor of guard options that subsequently leaves Golden State's lineups vastly undersized. If Jonathan Kuminga was a significant part of the rotation then you could understand Santos' absence, but with the former seventh overall pick benched, the Warriors are in need of another forward to take those minutes.
Perhaps those minutes may come when/if a consolidation trade is made before the mid-season deadline, with Santos a potential beneficiary if the Warriors sacrifice some of their depth for a starting level talent.