Golden State Warriors: 5 keys to repeating in 2017-18
2. Let the young guys see the court
The incentive structure for the NBA is that the worst teams get better draft picks, and the best teams get worse draft picks. As such, the Golden State Warriors have not picked better than 30th since 2012, when they drafted Harrison Barnes, Festus Ezeli and Draymond Green.
When it comes to Golden State, it has bucked the system, purchasing second round picks each of the past two seasons and coming away with talented players. Patrick McCaw saw important minutes in the NBA Finals last season despite being a second round rookie on the league’s most talented team. Jordan Bell could be another draft steal as a high-energy defensive big.
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This team has other young players as well, from recent picks Kevon Looney and Damian Jones, to two-way center Chris Boucher from Oregon. Boucher in particular combines elite shot-blocking with 3-point range, and all three young bigs will spend time in Santa Cruz this season.
For this season, the Warriors are well-stocked at center. Zaza Pachulia, David West and JaVale McGee all return on value contracts, and Green will spend time at center as well — especially in the postseason. But none of the three are long-term options at the position, and the Warriors have invested draft assets into finding a replacement. Giving regular season run to Jones, Bell, Looney and Boucher will not only keep their veterans fresh, it will help uncover the best option to retain moving forward.
As for McCaw, the Warriors need to find out whether he is worth paying next offseason as he will become a free agent. But for this season, McCaw is the insurance against an injury to Klay Thompson or Andre Iguodala. He has shown flashes of being the player who could one day soon replace Iguodala as the veteran ages into a more reduced role.
In allm the Warriors have a deep veteran team, but the back third of the roster is flush with young prospects ready to run. Setting them loose on opponents will not only rest their stars, it will give them options down the road for when their depth becomes more important.