Golden State Warriors: 5 goals for Patrick McCaw in 2017-18

Golden State Warriors shooting guard Patrick McCaw had an impressive rookie season. Facing early restricted free agency in 2018, what does McCaw need to accomplish to both help his team this year and help himself next summer?

Patrick McCaw has thus far proven to be one of the steals of the 2016 NBA Draft. That is both good and bad news for the Golden State Warriors.

The good news is that Bob Myers found another draft gem, again using limited salary space and future assets to further strengthen the league’s best team.

The bad news is that the 21-year-old shooting guard will, as a second round pick, become a free agent much more quickly than the already heavily-taxed Golden State Warriors would like.

After his rookie season, it is very much up in the air what he will cost to retain. He passed the eye test as an impact defender and smart passer, but he was a mixed bag in terms of his numbers and minutes earned. Most rookies are.

There are three overarching objectives for Patrick McCaw in Year 2. One is to improve as a basketball player. Another is to help the Warriors win another championship. Last but not least, it is to put himself in the best negotiating position as he hits restricted free agency next summer.

These are anything but mutually exclusive, and will be the framework with which we assess McCaw’s five specific 2017-18 goals.