Golden State Warriors: Shaun Livingston’s Return Uncertain

When the Golden State Warriors signed veteran point guard Shaun Livingston earlier in the summer, all signs pointed to a big upgrade for the bench guard depth.

Then it was discovered that Livingston required surgery to repair his toe, and the Warriors coaching staff were given a six-to-eight-week recovery time for the journeyman point guard.

Livingston is no stranger to playing for a new team — he’s played for eight over his 10-year career. He’s also no stranger to injuries, missing time over the course of his tenure with the NBA for a list of medical issues.

The most significant was his knee injury on Feb. 26, 2007, where he damaged just about every tendon and ligament there is in the human knee. After doctors told him his injury was so bad that amputation wasn’t out of the question, Livingston took over a year and a half to fully recover and take the floor again in 2008.

With the start of the NBA season quickly approaching, Shaun Livingston is in an all-too familiar spot — recovering from an injury while beginning his first season with a new team. Not exactly the most comfortable transition for any player.

The most recent report on Livingston’s injury isn’t dreadful, but it’s also not promising. The team is still uncertain as to when exactly the veteran guard will be returning to basketball activities. No one has necessarily come out and said he will miss regular season action, but it’s not quite how the Golden State Warriors were hoping to begin a season that has the potential to be one of their most successful in years.

Last month I wrote a piece that examined the possible lacking depth of the Golden State Warriors guards. At the time, I took into account Livingston’s potential eight-week recovery time, which brought us to the second week in October. That’s not too far off anymore.

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So now, as the Dubs head into training camp, the backup guard issue in the back of everyone’s mind is starting to creep towards the front.

Going into camp, Aaron Craft and Nemanja Nedovic are currently the Warriors depth at point guard after Stephen Curry. Craft is an undrafted rookie with very little to offer other than defensive prowess and an unquestionable passion for basketball. Nedovic is coming off an injury of his own, and out to prove he can be more than just a D-League success.

So what are the Golden State Warriors to do if they begin training camp with two unproven young guards, and an injured backup with an uncertain medical prognosis?

They’re going to prepare Stephen Curry to handle big minutes once again. Averaging 38.2 minutes per game in 2012-13 and then 36.5 in 2013-14, Curry has shown he can excel while playing heavy time on the court. Last season, Steph played 40+ minutes 25 times over the course of the year. It may sound great to the casual fan that their favorite player is on the court so much, but I assure you the Golden State front office and coaching staff would love to see Steph’s minutes down closer to 34 per contest, much like Los Angeles Clippers counterpart and division foe Chris Paul.

With slightly less minutes, Stephen Curry will be at 100 percent energy levels on the court more often. He’ll play at a higher level with a bit more rest, and he’ll make the rest of his team better by leading the offense more efficiently.

The bottom line is the Golden State Warriors need Shaun Livingston to get healthy. He’s a difference-maker and has the ability to contribute starter-quality minutes to just about any team he plays for. His unique length gives him a ridiculous advantage over most guards and he has a wide variety of skills on his tool belt.

As much as I love Leandro Barbosa, he shouldn’t be in the conversation for handling the ball at all for the Dubs. Time will tell, but the Golden State Warriors may be instituting Plan B or C for who gets backup point guard minutes to start the season.