Even after the mid-season addition of Jimmy Butler in a 4-for-1 trade in early February, the Golden State Warriors have retained a fairly deep roster that's powered them to a 22-6 record in the games since.
The Warriors still have 11 players who have played significant minutes in recent weeks, and who've subsequently put their hand up to be part of the postseason rotation. Yet there remains one area where they really lack depth, and is subsequently an element they need to address come the offseason.
The Warriors could do with one more playable guard
While fans have often lamented three or four-guard lineups from Steve Kerr over the years, there's actually a distinct lack of guards on the roster. It's been that way for practically the entire season, stemming from when Golden State decided not to add another point guard after letting Chris Paul walk in free agency.
De'Anthony Melton's early season-ending knee injury didn't help matters, before his trade replacement in Dennis Schroder was nothing short of a disaster in his brief less-than-two month stint with the franchise.
Stephen Curry and Brandin Podziemski have been superb for Warriors in recent weeks, including on Tuesday night where the back court pair combined for 47 points in just 48 minutes during a dominant win 133-95 win over the Phoenix Suns.
Yet beyond the starting duo, only one of Golden State's next seven players off the bench could be classified as a traditional guard. Buddy Hield is the third and really only alternative guard, while Gary Payton II plays more like a front court player despite his 6'2" size. Pat Spencer is also at the end of the roster, but he's not someone who's going to be seeing legitimate postseason minutes.
Hield was good with a team-high 20 points in Sunday's loss to the Houston Rockets, but his general inconsistencies and limitations do leave fans with some concerns on how much he can be relied upon come playoff time.
In an ideal world, the Warriors would have a more trust-worthy and solid combo-guard who could play behind Curry and Podziemski off the bench. Could you imagine a fit and healthy Melton on this iteration of Golden State? That would be a perfect complement given his ability to play on or off the ball, while also being a high-level perimeter defender.
Golden State could look to re-acquire Melton as a free agent in the offseason, but whether it's he or another option, upgrading from Hield and finding more reliable guard depth should be their top priority in the summer.