Golden State Warriors: 5 Midseason Takeaways
5. The Bench Is Doing Its Part
The Warriors’ high-powered starting five gets all the attention, and rightfully so, but the bench’s efforts to maintain leads — and on some nights, build on them — should be acknowledged.
Heading into the season, Golden State’s perceived lack of depth was expected to hold them back, but so far, it hasn’t been much of an issue. Those limited bench minutes will become vital in the playoffs, but for now, the second unit is getting the job done.
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True enough, the Dubs’ second unit ranks just 26th in scoring among the league’s benches, putting up 29.9 points per game. But this group’s job is to protect leads, not necessarily put the ball in the hole.
It’s comforting, then, that defense and efficient play has become these reserves’ calling card. The Dubs’ bench doesn’t put the ball in the hole often, but it does it well, ranking first in field goal percentage (52.7 percent) and fourth in three-point percentage (36.9 percent).
The Warriors reserves also move the ball well, ranking fifth among all bench units in assists (9.2 per game), and they defend well enough to hold onto leads, ranking third in point differential at +2.0.
The Warriors will lean heavily on guys like Andre Iguodala and Shaun Livingston come playoff time, but if guys like Ian Clark (6.6 PPG, .489/.407/.737 shooting splits) or even JaVale McGee (5.6 PPG, 0.6 BPG) can step up in limited action, Golden State will be damn near unstoppable.