Golden State Warriors: 3 Reasons Warriors Are On Track
The Warriors Got Help Off The Bench
Through three games this year, the Warriors’ Big Four were averaging 85 points per game combined. No other player on the team averaged more than five, nor had any bench player even hit double digits. If it wasn’t a star scoring, it wasn’t happening.
That’s a very different turn from last season, when the Warriors commonly got strong performances from outside the stars. Harrison Barnes, for all of his flaws, had the pedigree of an elite scoring forward and would put up the occasional 20-point game.
Andre Iguodala had nights where he slashed to the rim and spotted up from the corner en route to 15 or more.
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Even the role players had scoring punch. Marreese Speights was streaky, but when the arrow pointed up he could drop 25 with a grin. Shaun Livingston would find the right matchup and completely abuse a smaller guard in the post. Leandro Barbosa always had a spark.
The game against Portland was the first display that the bench could support the starters, and it was led by lesser-known guard Ian Clark. The fourth-year player out of Belmont saw some spot action last season when Curry or Livingston were injured, including some strong performances in the playoffs against Houston.
But none of his performances to date compared to what he unleashed in Portland, dropping a career-high 22 points on the Trail Blazers in 25 minutes. He checked into the game with the Warriors down 20-14 in the first quarter, and by the end of the frame the Warriors led 34-25 and Clark had 11 points.
Overall he shot 8-for-8, canned three triples, and was a perfect 3-of-3 from the line.
Clark didn’t just look for his own shot, but was active feeding the ball to Steph Curry. After Clark proved he had to be closely guarded, the defense sprouted holes that Steph ran through, catching passes that turned into shot at both the rim and the arc.
Clark finished with only one assist, but his ball movement helped to spark Curry’s explosion.
Andre Iguodala also got free in transition to pitch in 11 points, a season high for one of the league’s best bench players. His plus-39 was a team-high, followed by fellow bench veteran David West at plus-26.
If the bench can contribute at similar levels moving forward, this Super Team will have the support it needs to dominate opponents.