Golden State Warriors Players Making Strongest Case for More Minutes
Currently riding a 10-game winning streak, the Golden State Warriors are 15-2 and sit atop the Western Conference standings. While the stars have more than done their part to get to this point, it’s been the sublime effort of their role players that has really brought this hot start to fruition.
For a roster as talented as this one, finding meaningful minutes for all of the worthy talent can be challenging. With nearly everyone playing the best basketball of their careers, finding the right balance has been head coach Steve Kerr’s biggest test.
That being said, there have been a select few who stand out above the rest. Whether it be exceeding low expectations, finally living up to them or simply acclimating well to a new environment, these players are earning more and more minutes by the game.
If the Warriors are going to keep this pace up, these are the players who need to see more minutes.
Marreese Speights
Dear Mr. Marreese Speights, we’re sorry.
Now that the apology is out of the way, let's get to the most surprising start of the young season.
When Andre Iguodala moved to the bench to accommodate Harrison Barnes in the starting lineup, many instantly pegged him as a favorite for the Sixth Man of the Year award. Well, the Warriors have indeed found a fantastic sixth man. But it’s not Iguodala.
Speights, after contributing next to nothing last season and dashing all of our faith in him in the process, has been lights out this year. While his 12.4 points per game—up from just 6.4 last season—have been impressive, it’s his efficiency that is truly mind-blowing.
Speights is shooting over 56 percent from the field. That dwarfs his career shooting percentage of just .472 and marks the first time in his career that he has been above .500.
The kicker in all of this is that he’s doing it in just 15.8 minutes of action. Speights has been borderline unstoppable to start the season. If anyone on the team is deserving of more minutes, it’s him. Get him on the court, coach!
Harrison Barnes
Iguodala is just not the same player any more. Whether it is an inability to adjust to a reserve role or simply not fitting into the system, he’s been one of the few disappointments in an otherwise stellar season.
Barnes, on the other hand, is playing the best ball of his career. His scoring is the highest it’s ever been, and he’s doing it at an efficient 50 percent from the field. He’s also developed into the one of the best rebounding small forwards in the NBA, gobbling up 6.5 per game.
While his defense doesn’t translate to stats or blocks, that area of his game has highly improved as well. It’s very simple: At this point in their careers, Barnes is the better player.
While the 30.4 minutes per game that Barnes is receiving is nothing to sneeze at, the drop-off when he is replaced by Iguodala is significant. The Warriors are 3.1 points per game better with Barnes in the lineup over Iguodala according to NBA.com. That’s a huge margin, one that Kerr cannot ignore.
If Barnes continues to flourish and Iguodala continues to flounder, look for Barnes’ minutes to rise.
Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson have been fantastic this season. They’ve decidedly closed the door on the silly best-backcourt-in-the-NBA debate. After them, however, the guard play has not been great. Leandro Barbosa got off to a good start but has floundered from the three-point line as of late.
Brandon Rush is currently sporting a minus-2.3 PER according to ESPN. Outside of garbage time, Justin Holiday is irrelevant. It’s slim pickings off the bench.
While he hasn’t stood out in any particular way, Shaun Livingston has been solid in his reserve role. Livingston’s greatest asset is his size at his position, size that allows him to see over defenses and defend larger guards.
With dangerous foes like James Harden, Monta Ellis and Manu Ginobili in the Warriors' path, strong play from Livingston will be needed. Without another reliable guard to turn to, look for Kerr to lean on the invaluable experience of Livingston to pick up the slack when Curry or Thompson need a breather.
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