Ticking time bombs: Grading the Golden State Warriors’ Bench

MANILA, Philippines – It doesn’t take a basketball analyst to realize how vital bench players are in the game. If they play well, the spark that they provide while the stars are catching their breath could be the difference between winning and losing.

In a league that is all about star power, the biggest buzz of the ongoing 2016 NBA Finals is surprisingly coming from the guys off the pine. Thanks to them, the once-red-hot Golden State Warriors jumped out to an early 2-0 series lead over the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Although the Cavaliers have since returned the favor to the Warriors via a 120-90 pounding in Game 3 on Wednesday, June 8 (Thursday Manila time), one thing has stayed the same for both teams: the Warriors’ bench showed up while the Cavaliers’ still did not. 

In these 3 games, Golden State’s supporting cast has totaled 118 points, 64 more than Cleveland. Even in their best game of the Finals so far, head coach Tyronn Lue still depended heavily on his starters, who scored 105 out of 120 points and hogged 179 out of a maximum of 240 minutes (48 for the 5 players allowed on the court at any given time).

With the Splash Brothers tandem of Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson struggling to find their regular season form, the defending champions need their bench more than ever. 

We all have a general idea on how dangerous the bench can be but do we really know exactly how dangerous they can be?

Wonder no more, we have analyzed and graded all of them for you. 

Note #1: Advanced statistics are accurate as of June 7, 2016. 

Note #2: Rookie forward Kevon Looney has not played any playoff games and will therefore not be included in the list.

(in alphabetical order)

1. Leandro Barbosa

Although the “Brazilian Blur” has lost a lot of pep is his step due to aging and nagging injuries, his shooting stroke didn’t fade along with his knee strength. In three games in these Finals, Barbosa has totaled 32 points on an obscenely high 71% shooting in just 46 combined minutes of action.

Barbosa is no stranger coming hot off the bench. In his best season with Phoenix back in 2006, he started just 18 out of 80 games he played and yet had an average of 18.1 points per game.

Grade: B+

2. Ian Clark

Acquired in a mid-season trade from the Utah Jazz, this second-year gunner always makes something happen with what little time he is given. In Game 2 of these Finals, he managed to squeeze out 7 points in just 8 minutes of action.

For context, Clark currently has an offensive rating of 103.3. Stephen Curry has 107.9. The last time Clark was given Curry’s minutes, he dropped 33 points, hit 7 3-pointers and won the Summer League Most Valuable Player back in 2013. Yes, the guy with the fourth-lowest minutes average on the Warriors is a former MVP.

Grade: A-

Advanced Basketball Terminology 101: Offensive Rating (OffRtg) – the number of points per 100 possessions that the team scores while a particular player is on the court. (Basically, the higher the rating, the better the player.)

3. Festus Ezeli

Not much can be said about the second-year center from Vanderbilt, as most of his contributions aren’t really tallied in the scoresheets such as hustle and bruising fellow centers, but if there is a way to grasp his value, it would be through the Player Impact Estimate or PIE.

Throughout the playoffs, Ezeli’s PIE is 9.1. The guy right below him? The next guy on the list.

Grade: B+

Basketball Terminology 101: Player Impact Estimate (PIE) – estimate of a player’s contributions and overall impact on the court. (Again, the higher the stat, the better the player.)

 

4. Andre Iguodala

Possibly the most notable of the Warriors’ bench players, the 11-year veteran made headlines last year when he was named the Finals’ MVP – the only player in NBA history to never start a single game in the regular season prior to winning the prestigious award. He is also the only MVP to not start in every game of the Finals.

This season, Iguodala finished as the runner-up to the Sixth Man of the Year Award despite averaging a career-low in minutes and points. All season long, Iguodala has acted as the Warriors’ personal hitman – only being used in dire situations such as shutting down the likes of LeBron James and Kevin Durant. Whatever the team needed from him, he delivered. Although he rests for long stretches of time, like a true MVP, he never leaves his motor off.

Grade: A+

5. Shaun Livingston

For those who are suckers to feel-good stories, look no further than the comeback of the Warriors 6’7” point guard, Shaun Livingston. Despite all the upside that came with him as a former fourth overall pick, his only claim to fame would come in the form of one of the worst injuries caught on camera, where he tore every crucial ligament in his knee on a botched landing. The severity of his injury almost led to his leg being amputated. Nobody thought Livingston could make a proper comeback to the court, much less be a vital piece of a championship-winning team.

(READ: Livingston overcomes severe injury to star in NBA Finals)

In this year’s Finals, Livingston has proven that his comeback campaign last year was no fluke, averaging 10.7 points on a near-unstoppable 77% clip in 3 games. He had a team-high 20 points in their Game 1 victory, making the defense look foolish with repeated mid-range jumpers. In terms of skill and size, Livingston is a backup that some NBA teams would love to have as a star player.

Grade: A

6. James Michael McAdoo

Often the forgotten man in the Warriors lineup, McAdoo hasn’t been given enough minutes to make a noticeable impact on the court. In defense of Steve Kerr, it can prove to be difficult to insert a fourth-string rookie into a very productive big man lineup. That being said, McAdoo remains the only non-injured player to not find a consistent role in the 14-man rotation of the Warriors. Even elite teams such as the Cavaliers and Thunder struggle to create an effective nine-man lineup.

Grade: N/A

7. Brandon Rush

Rush is a like a speed bump on the cruising Warriors. Although he is one of the longest-tenured players on the current roster, the team never knows what to expect of him on a nightly basis. He could catch fire in one game and fizzle out for the next 3. While Luke Walton trusted him to start in place of an injured Harrison Barnes early into their regular season, he has consistently placed in the lower ranks of the team’s efficiency statistics.

Maybe the Warriors should pass on this guy for the last few games.

Grade: D

8. Marreese Speights

Speights’ name was tossed into the trade mill early into the season after a series of bad nights where he chucked more shots than is asked from him. Since then, the 6-foot-10 forward has found a way to earn back the trust of the coaching staff: by adding a 3-point shot.

Since adding the trademark Warriors 3-ball to his arsenal, Speights has been vital in the Warriors’ playoff push. His average attempts from downtown have doubled and yet he still raised his efficiency by 5 percent.

All it took was a trade scare.

Grade: B-

9. Anderson Varejao

The latest piece added to the Warriors roster may ultimately prove to be also the most valuable for their Finals run. After 12 years of service to the Cavaliers, the Brazilian “Wild Man” was involved in a mid-season, salary-cap-saving trade to the Portland Trailblazers, who immediately cut him from the roster. The Warriors then claimed him off waivers.

Aside from having extensive knowledge of the Cavaliers’ playbook, Varejao also provides a veteran leadership that the young Warriors haven’t had. From a skills’ standpoint, he is still a tenacious rebounder who once averaged 14.1 rebounds a game in 2013 before having a season-ending blood clot in his right lung. (READ: Ex-Cavs center Varejao could be Warriors’ ‘inside guy’)

Despite having the unique possibility of winning a ring regardless of which team wins, Varejao’s passion and wisdom is something the Warriors can utilize to edge out his former team.

Grade: B- 

– Rappler.com