Warriors Rumors: GSW Worried by 'Lack of Cohesion' with Bench Unit

Andrew Wiggins has returned to the Golden State Warriors after he stepped away to address a personal matter, but the reigning champions are reportedly worried about how the bench will adjust with the playoffs approaching.

"The problem that worries the Warriors, according to sources, is the lack of cohesion in the bench unit," Sean Deveney of Heavy reported. "Because of injuries and Wiggins' absence, the starting five of Golden State has played together just 23 times this season, and only once since January 19."

The Warriors' bench is 22nd in the league with a plus/minus of -0.8, per NBA.com. That stands in stark contrast to last season when the unit finished second with a plus/minus of 2.0.

While Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, Klay Thompson and Wiggins will generate most of the headlines, it is difficult to envision this team repeating as champions if the bench doesn't improve its play.

That is especially the case on the road, where the Warriors are an ugly 9-30. They are in fifth place in the Western Conference at 42-38 and may have to win four straight series without home-court advantage to lift up the Larry O'Brien Trophy for the second straight season.

Bench talent isn't the issue in these road losses, as one Western Conference executive pointed out, but everything else isn't lined up as well as it was last season:

"They have talent on the bench when you have (Donte) DiVincenzo and Jordan Poole, (Jonathan) Kuminga and JaMychal Green, plus (Gary) Payton [II].

"But what they don't have is chemistry and they don't have their roles set up. That was so important last year, they had Otto Porter and (Nemanja) Bjelica, and they had Poole and Payton. They knew what they'd get with each of those guys and they could throw out Moses Moody or Kuminga if they needed. Now you have guys and you just don't know what they're going to give you. That is what they are worried about most there."

The consternation is fair, but Golden State also needs Wiggins back to challenge the league's best teams.

He hasn't played since Feb. 13, but he was integral in the championship run by defending the opposing teams' best players and taking some of the pressure off Curry, Thompson and Green on that end of the floor all while playing a key role in the offense.

The Kansas product was fourth on the team in the playoffs with an average of 16.5 points per game.

Golden State will need him to be excellent on both ends once again if it is going to overcome its bench concerns in the postseason.