Golden State Warriors: 5 goals for the 2021-22 regular season

Goals for the Golden State Warriors: 4. Adding a veteran playmaker mid-season

Long-time NBA fans know there’s a difference between regular-season depth and playoff depth, and the Warriors have been masterfully assembling the latter during their dynasty. Some players who are typically younger are full of energy and explosiveness, best suited for the grueling 82-game season, but there are other players typically older with grit and intelligence, who make their greatest contributions during the postseason run.

For example, last year’s Clippers benefitted from the incredible accuracy of Luke Kennard and the Bucks took advantage of the hustle of Thanasis Antetokounmpo. But during their playoff runs, the Clippers gave important minutes to Rajon Rondo and the Bucks allocated more time for P.J. Tucker, aiming for better defense and more playoff experience.

The Warriors have enjoyed the likes of Brandon Rush, Ian Clark, Festus Ezeli, Jordan Bell and others only to increase the roles of Shaun Livingston, Leandro Barbosa, David West and DeMarcus Cousins come postseason play. Both groups are essential for team success, but the second group making shots when the team needed them to and contesting shots without fouling late in games are what mattered most in winning the championship.

Every year a handful of veterans take the court during a postseason game and quickly set the tone, not mattering how many games they played in the regular season or how much time they had playing with the starters. Three-point marksmen, defensive specialists, brilliant passers, emphatic shot-blockers, they all make contributions that shape the final stage.

If the Warriors feel good about their pace and want to look ahead to improve their playoff roster, they should look to add a veteran playmaker mid-season.

Curry and Draymond will be manufacturing baskets all season long and play at their best during the final stretch, but Steve Kerr can’t be feeling all that confident relying on others when the stars sit. Right now the backup playmakers are the shoot-happy Poole and Damion Lee, defensive-minded Gary Payton II, rookie Moses Moody and two-way player Chris Chiozza. Those aren’t safe options to lead an offense during a playoff series.

Mid-season is the perfect time for playoff teams to make additions, whether big or small, feasting on teams that have given up or are looking to shed salary. The trade market is an opportunity to swap assets for a ready-made contributor, where the Warriors could look to add the soon-to-be-free agents of rebuilding teams like Cleveland’s Ricky Rubio or Toronto’s Goran Dragic, to make a big leap towards title contention.

There’s also the buy-out market which typically features a handful of veterans, who have agreed to be bought out of their (expiring) massive contract in order to be free to sign with a contender, such as Blake Griffin taking a pay cut last year to join the Nets. This year’s buy-out market could feature names like Cory Joseph out of Detroit, Michael Carter-Williams out of Orlando, Patrick Beverley out of Minnesota, and maybe even John Wall out of Houston.

A veteran playmaker backing up Curry in the playoffs would protect the Warriors’ offense during his much-needed rest, provide a spark when the scoring winds down, and raise the confidence of younger players who might not have much playoff experience. Some veteran point guard on a losing team will be making contributions during the playoffs; they just don’t know for who yet, though Golden State is an attractive landing spot.