Golden State Warriors: 3 takeaways from Game 1 vs. Rockets
3. Lack of wing depth a potential issue
At the time Quinn Cook was added to the playoff roster, it was a no-brainer. Curry’s health was in question, and it was smart to keep a reasonable facsimile in hand.
Of course, doing so meant cutting someone. I argued that Looney be the one to go, given the Warriors’ overloaded frontcourt and lack of wing depth. Steve Kerr, Bob Myers and co. felt differently, releasing Omri Casspi.
Looney’s play for much of this postseason has vindicated their decision. He’s emerged as the one big capable of defending on the perimeter, holding his own in the post and running the floor in transition. His strong play continued in Game 1, as he hung tough with Harden and Paul on switches.
By the fourth quarter, he was gassed. Eric Gordon started to get it going against him, and he was late closing out to Houston shooters when he found himself off the ball. It was a disturbing development, considering that Looney showed similar fatigue in Game 5 against the Pelicans.
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Playing him fewer minutes was never really an option, though. Jordan Bell is the only other big that has any chance of doing what Looney does, and Kerr clearly is skeptical of the rookie’s readiness. Green is of course the center of choice, but he can’t play all game — particularly when he’s traversing all 94 feet with such fervor, and when he gets into foul trouble as he did.
This is where Casspi is missed. Green is also one of three traditional forwards on the roster. When he’s at center, it’s either Iguodala and Durant at the 3 and the 4, Thompson playing up a position (which means Livingston and Curry both have to be in the game), or Young.
In Game 1, it was Young. Iguodala also got into foul trouble, and Curry and Thompson both pushed the upper crust of their ideal minutes load. While the swaggy one did score nine points on 3-of-5 shooting from downtown, the Rockets also posted a 111.0 offensive rating with him on the court (98.7 when he sat). He finished +4, but that number won’t stay positive once he cools down.
The Warriors were not wrong to keep Looney. He’s an important part of the rotation, and the most playable big in this series. They were also not wrong to bring on Cook, who will become instantly crucial if Curry were to get hurt again or face foul trouble.
Casspi would certainly do more for the team than the bench-bound Zaza Pachulia or JaVale McGee, though. On a different night, his absence might be more costly.