How the Warriors are Well-Equipped to Handle Roster Shortages
The team culture surrounding the Golden State Warriors has always been “Strength in Numbers”, even in the years when the bench was on a budget with Kevin Durant. That next-man-up mentality has largely contributed to their success, because even if they’re fielding a couple G-Leaguers and vets on minimum contracts, they’ve always been able to get the best out of their guys.
There’s a couple reasons for that, and this season really puts all of them in the spotlight. The first and most obvious is roster construction. Warriors fans can sometimes be a little harsh on the front office, and it was easy to make those indictments when they whiffed on what could’ve been key free agents in Patty Mills and Paul Millsap. Instead, they got Otto Porter Jr. and Nemanja Bjelica, respectively a former lotto pick and a former EuroLeague MVP, who have both been major contributors and have been key to some of the biggest wins (Bjelica in the opener against the Lakers, and Porter Jr. on Christmas against the Suns).
This kind of uncanny ability from Bob Myers to find diamonds in the rough has been a hallmark of the Warriors for years now. Shaun Livingston, a guy whose career was considered almost over after a gruesome leg injury as a younger player, was able to carve out an important role as the point guard off the bench, and parlayed his ability as a player into the league’s most unstoppable midrange turnaround. JaVale McGee, a former highlight of TNT’s infamous Shaqtin a Fool segments, was given the opportunity to show off his skills as a center in a backup role, and he absolutely killed it. Gary Payton II, a five-year NBA vet, was the 15th man on the roster and could be now competing for an All-Defensive team because he was given the opportunity to shine in his role
The Warriors have always been able to get the best out of guys who were written off early because they know how to foster a culture around that kind of thing. The front office is a huge part of that. They’ve shown that second-chances are a huge part of winning basketball, and they’ve always gotten the right guys for the job.
Another big part of the bench success this season is the coaching staff’s ability to adjust to who they have available. Obviously, it starts with Steph “The System” Curry, but the bench’s ability to keep momentum going even without some of their key offensive guys has been a result of the variety in this year’s coaching staff. Kenny Atkinson, who hasn’t been able to be on the bench, has still been in Steve Kerr’s ear a lot. Atkinson got the most out of his guys in his tenure in Brooklyn, coaching a lackluster roster to a 6th seed and a playoff berth.
Another guy who’s been excellent for a few years now is Mike Brown, widely considered Kerr’s #2 and rightfully so. Mike Brown has been an important part of Golden State’s culture, but also in their system. He coached the Cavs during the years of LeBron James’ first tenure there. That franchise turned around after missing the playoffs in LeBron’s first two seasons, turning in the franchise’s first NBA Finals appearance and multiple 60-win seasons when he took the job.
Since their excellent work as head coaches in very different systems, they’ve brought coaching versatility to complement Steve Kerr’s existing style. Atkinson and Brown are two of the brighter minds in basketball, and should be getting plenty of credit for Golden State’s success off the bench because they can bring in new ideas that change the way the team approaches the game when Steph and Draymond sit.
The emergence of the young guys, some through the draft and others through the Santa Cruz Warriors phenomenal development, is the third key to this season’s success. Jordan Poole has been the primary focus, and is probably the G-League’s biggest success story. Some time in Santa Cruz turned Poole from a draft pick that was widely considered a bust into one of the team’s leading scorers. Obviously Poole’s work ethic and willingness to learn has been highly important and has resulted in the possibility of him being the future franchise point guard, but credit should be given to the front office for picking up a guy they knew could be that good.
Juan Toscano-Anderson is another great Santa Cruz pickup, a player who went undrafted and worked his tail off to get onto the main roster. He’s now a mainstay, but the team’s commitment to building through the G-League is best exemplified in JTA. He’s become a phenomenal player, and he’s been given the opportunity to grow.
Between the front office’s ability to find the right guys, the coaching staff’s versatility, and the well-oiled machine that is the Santa Cruz development program, the Warriors have once again embodied the value of Strength in Numbers. The team culture cultivated by Myers and owner Joe Lacob has been just as important as the emergence of star players like Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson. They were able to get experienced vets like Andre Iguodala and David Lee, both all-stars, to buy into the system.
There’s no team that has enjoyed the kind of consistent success that the Warriors have in the past few years. And just as the NBA thought they were rid of ‘em, they came punching right back into first place. If that’s not a testament to the multifaceted success from the culture of this team, then I don’t know what is.
(Photo credit: Golden State Warriors)