Even despite Stephen Curry entering year 17 at 37-years-old, the Golden State Warriors made the surprise decision not to target another genuine point guard to add to their roster in free agency.
It's a decision that elicited some criticism prior to the season, but the sudden emergence of two-way contracted guard Pat Spencer has vindicated Golden State's choice not to chase another more proven veteran option.
Pat Spencer is vindicating Warriors' choice not to add veteran point guard
There may be some fortune in Golden State's ability to hold their head above water amid Curry's five-game absence due to a quad injury. They wouldn't have expected Spencer to be this good and this impactful, with the 29-year-old having averaged 16.0 points, 4.0 rebounds and 5.8 assists over the last four games while shooting 59.1% from the floor and 75% from 3-point range.
Still, the front office deserves some credit for not chasing a bigger name, having frequently been linked to Malcolm Brogdon before he ultimately joined the New York Knicks and then announced his retirement prior to the season.
It's left Steve Kerr with little choice but to go to Spencer with Curry sidelined. Not only has that worked effectively with Spencer as a starter over the last two games, but it may have allowed the Warriors to find themselves a backup point guard to utilize once the 2x MVP returns.
Spencer himself was a very late addition to the roster, only signing a two-way deal on media day after Australian point guard Taran Armstrong rejected a qualifying offer from Golden State to sign overseas in Dubai.
The former Lacrosse star had played in 45 games over two previous seasons with the Warriors, but never with the same consecutive game opportunity and impact that he's seen over the past week.
The Warriors have lacked a legitimate backup point guard since the start of last season, having chosen not to replace Chris Paul who departed in the free agency of 2024. Golden State had hoped Brandin Podziemski could elevate into that role, but a rough start to last season caused the front office to quickly pursue a trade for Dennis Schroder.
Schroder proved to be far from an effective answer, leaving Jimmy Butler to run second units since his arrival in February. While the Warriors have made do and largely been successful in the Butler era to date, Spencer's emergence provides Kerr with a more traditional point guard that could spark a more effective offense as the season progresses.