Golden State Warriors: Can Brandon Rush Contribute In 2015-16?

At the start of every NBA training camp, we hear the tall tales about what to expect from the upcoming season. Every team has reason to be optimistic before the games actually begin, and so every year, we hear about how this non-playoff team believes it’s a playoff team, or about how that non-contender wants to compete for a championship, or about how this player worked on his three-point shot over the summer.

And every year, some of us fall for one of those sexy summer developments, buying into the possibility that it could actually manifest itself on the court for the upcoming season.

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But in the case of Brandon Rush and the defending champion Golden State Warriors, is there actually reason to be optimistic about 2015-16?

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Last season was Rush’s first year back with the Warriors since an ACL tear ended his 2012-13 season and subsequently saw him traded to the Utah Jazz the following summer. Rush suffered the season-ending injury just two games into the year, just as he was coming off a career-best campaign in which he averaged 9.8 points per game on 50.1 percent shooting from the floor and 45.2 percent shooting from three-point range.

But ever since tearing that ACL, Rush has looked all but washed up. He only played in 11 minutes per game in 38 appearances for the Jazz in 2013-14, and although he has a championship ring to his name now, Rush was hardly a contributor to the Warriors’ title run. Last season, he averaged 0.9 points in 8.2 minutes per game on 20.4 percent shooting from the field and 11.1 percent shooting from three-point range — all career lows.

Rush’s numbers have to be taken with a grain of salt because he only appeared in 33 games for the Dubs, but you get the point: he wasn’t exactly intrinsic to Golden State’s success.

“It was a bad year for me, an awful year,” Rush told Monte Pool of CSNBayArea.com. “It was one of the worst years I’ve ever had, individually. I enjoyed the ride. But I wanted to be a part of it. Honestly, the trophy…I didn’t have a part in that. I’m still part of the team, but it doesn’t feel the same for me.”

That feeling of being invisible prompted him to search for his shot and his confidence again this offseason. As Poole reports, Rush — who shot 41.3 percent from three-point range through his first four NBA seasons — believes he’s found it again.

“I want to get out there bad,” Rush said. “This was one of the best summers I’ve ever had. I was just putting in work, getting my legs stronger. I’m ready to be the old B-Rush.”

In the Warriors’ first preseason game last night, it was hard to call Rush the main headline. It was the defending champs’ return to action, people were lining up hours before the game to get in and Stephen Curry was high-fiving teammates on the bench before his three-pointers went in.

But it’s worth noting that in a game where the reigning MVP fouled out in 17 minutes of action, it’s pretty obvious that these preseason contests are far more important for the players on the edge of the rotation. For Rush to prove he’s back, especially with head coach Steve Kerr taking a leave of absence, he had to really come out and impress.

On the stat sheet, Rush hardly blew anyone away. He finished with five points in 16 minutes as the Warriors cruised to an easy victory. But B-Rush also went 2-for-2 from the floor, including 1-for-1 from downtown, and he looked to be in much better shape than he had recently.

At the very least, his confidence is back.

Even his teammates took notice of his improved play and poise out on the court, even if it was only a meaningless preseason game.

To clarify, Brandon Rush is not back yet. While it’s encouraging that he believes in his shot again, he has a long way to go in order to prove that he can provide consistent shooting off the bench for a team that already sports Klay Thompson, Harrison Barnes, Leandro Barbosa, Andre Iguodala and possibly Ben Gordon on the wing.

“B-Rush is back!” feels exactly like one of those hyped up preseason traps we fall into from time to time.

But with Kevon Looney out for the foreseeable future and the Warriors likely to manage their stars’ minutes once again in order to save them for the postseason, Rush will get his opportunities. He posted some atrocious shooting percentages in limited minutes last year, but as we saw yesterday, he’s still capable of being efficient in those small doses of playing time.

If Rush can come in, knock down a few threes and head back to the bench, he just might earn more minutes as the Warriors look to repeat in 2015-16. But only time will tell if B-Rush is actually able to do so and prove that he’s finally back.

Next: NBA: Top 10 Candidates For 2015-16 Sixth Man of the Year

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