A Look at Free-Agency What-Ifs as Warriors' Bench Thrives
A night like Sunday can make Warriors fans forget a lot about the hubbub of the NBA offseason.
And for good reason – Golden State has the current league-leader in 3-pt shooting, and it isn’t Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson or even Jordan Poole, it is offseason pickup Nemanja Bjelica with a gaudy 55.6%.
Otto Porter Jr.’s performance in the victory over Houston also garnered deserved praise, as the veteran went 5-of-7 from distance, good for 15 points along with his nine rebounds. Many a story has also been written about Gary Payton II, with GP2’s performances justifying his selection for a roster spot over Avery Bradley. Andre Iguodala has continued to do Iguodala things, which should come as no surprise from a mainstay of a dynastic era.
Just three months ago, much was made about Bob Myers’ free agency haul, and his work has appeared to pay off so far. But is this success unique to the players the Warriors acquired, or would Golden State be out to this 8-1 start in a parallel universe with Bradley and Nicolas Batum?
The best way to potentially answer this question is to look at the performances so far of the guys that got away, players Myers pursued who could have fundamentally changed the bench of the team with the NBA’s best record.
The first of three targets to look at is Paul Millsap, whose role as a stretch-four is more than filled right now with Bjelica. Millsap was an attractive target as a double-digit scorer for 12 consecutive seasons before 2019-20, consistently averaging seven rebounds in that stretch.
A late second-round pick out of Louisiana Tech in 2006, the four-time All-Star signed with the Brooklyn Nets after the Warriors targeted him, but has played sparingly for coach Steve Nash thus far, putting up south of three shots per game. Millsap is slightly squeezed out of the rotation with LaMarcus Aldridge’s medical clearance with an irregular heartbeat and subsequent return to the league, but his lackluster performance thus far affirms Golden State made the right choice, at least for now.
A second target getting away was Batum, who signed a multi-year deal to stay with the Los Angeles Clippers after a courtship from the Warriors spanning multiple offseasons. According to an August article by NBC Sports Bay Area’s Ali Thanawalla, Golden State had tried to ink the French national before he joined Los Angeles in the 2020 offseason, and was hot in pursuit this summer after the veteran shot over 40% from distance in his age-33 campaign.
Steve Kerr had also said the team liked Batum’s flexibility in playing multiple positions, and early 2021 returns on Batum for the Clippers have been positive. Batum has started seven of eight games played, and has 50% from the field and 40% from distance in his back pocket. Wings like Iguodala, Porter Jr. and Bjelica have given what Batum could have provided, but it is likely the bench’s current success would not have suffered had Batum left for the Bay.
Lastly, the most discernible offseason win came at the point guard position in the debate between keeping Payton II or Bradley coming out of the preseason. Bradley has started four games for the scuffling Lakers, but has not put much of an impression on the stat sheet.
GP2 and Bradley both provide defensive prowess the Warriors like out of their final roster spot, but Payton II’s explosiveness as a lob threat and hard-nosed defensive play seems to fit Golden State best. GP2 also boasts a 55.6% clip from distance, but has not yet shot enough to join Bjelica on the podium.
As the winning continues, there shouldn’t be any reasons to complain about missed opportunities on the market. Batum, Millsap, Bradley and others could have been suitable replacements. But with the team’s present groove, the desire to delve into what-ifs should be quelled.
(Photo credit: Jeff Chiu/Associated Press)