Power Ranking Each Golden State Warriors Player for NBA's Stretch Run
The Golden State Warriors haven't looked quite as invincible post-All-Star break, with a pair of shaky performances out of the gate. If anything, that should serve as a wake-up call ahead of the stretch run.
An embarrassing 137-105 thrashing at the hands of the Portland Trail Blazers, and a sloppy finish in the 115-112 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers have shown that even the champions can bleed. The Dubs are still the undisputed NBA kings, and the lingering sense is that complacency is the most serious threat to their dominance.
Golden State still has the dream of beating the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls' 72-10 regular-season record, and every player on the roster has to be held accountable for that to become a reality.
The Warriors' rotation is relatively firm at this stage of the season, and the pecking order is established. Still, late-season ailments have shaken things up, and certain players will be called upon to fill the void of absentees.
Reserves: 15-10
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15. Kevon Looney
Kevon Looney has finally recovered from a hip injury and made his NBA debut in January. It felt more like a figurative gesture and a formality, rather than an actual call for the rookie's services. He has logged 13 minutes in garbage time since then and has very little chance to crack the rotation.
14. James Michael McAdoo
James Michael McAdoo had some nice moments this season under interim head coach Luke Walton, but he has been bothered by a sprained toe since then. He hasn't stepped on the court in 22 straight games and will likely find himself in a similar position to Looney upon his return.
13. Anderson Varejao
Since Jason Thompson never managed to secure a regular-rotation spot with the Warriors, the team decided to cut ties and bring in another veteran presence in Anderson Varejao. The injuries haven't been kind to the Brazilian over the years, and it's doubtful whether he has enough left in the tank to truly make a big impact moving forward.
12. Ian Clark
Ian Clark has mostly been quiet since the seven-game stretch between late December and early January, during which he averaged 24 minutes per game. He did show surprising confidence and ability to score in that short breakout period, so it's still too early to write him off as just a bench-dweller.
11. Brandon Rush
Brandon Rush deserves credit for filling in admirably as a starter in Harrison Barnes' absence. He stretched the floor, played solid defense and allowed Golden State to keep its regular rotation intact. He continues to receive minutes as a versatile wing off the bench for those performances.
10. Marreese Speights
After falling out of the rotation (and rightfully so) for a brief period in January, Marreese Speights seems to have regained his stellar mid-range game, which was painfully absent for most of the year. He won't be required to play big minutes off the bench, but the Warriors appreciate when he can step in for brief stints and nail a couple of jumpers to keep things flowing.
Key Players: 9-6
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9. Leandro Barbosa
It's a little surprising how fast Leandro Barbosa is, even at the age of 33. He can ignite a fast break in an instant and is a serviceable floor-spacer and slasher around pick-and-rolls.
The Warriors value Barbosa as a key bench cog, and his minutes shouldn't be in jeopardy anytime soon. His quirky drives and blistering change-of-pace technique catch sloppy defenses off guard, which is a valuable skill for Golden State's uptempo style.
8. Festus Ezeli
Festus Ezeli is forced to drop a little in the list due to a knee injury that will keep him out indefinitely, per Rusty Simmons of the San Francisco Chronicle. The fact he still ranks this high is a testament to his overall contribution during the course of the year.
Ezeli looked convincing as the starting center, and he made worried fans completely forget about Andrew Bogut's brief absence. He remained equally effective diving to the hoop and protecting the rim coming off the bench, and he's proved to be a starting-quality center in the NBA if he can stay healthy.
7. Shaun Livingston
Playing time goes up and down for players, but not when it comes to Shaun Livingston. He is a lock for 15 to 19 minutes every night with a defined role as Curry's backup. The Warriors know exactly what they get when Livingston steps on the court, and his skills are invaluable.
While defenses recover from Curry's long-range assaults, Livingston tends to make the second quarter his, punishing smaller guys with a reliable post game and smooth mid-range stroke. It's a nice way for Golden State to mix things up offensively.
At this point, it shouldn't take much convincing for anyone to realize Andre Iguodala's value goes way beyond his modest numbers. He has (predictably) cooled down from three-point range, after connecting on 50 percent of his long-range looks in November, but that's beyond the point. His regular-season performance card doesn't really matter, and the Warriors know they can count on the veteran in the playoffs.
Iguodala earned the NBA Finals MVP honors for his selfless play, extraordinary individual defense and an ability to blend in and make his teammates better. His versatility is a key element in the Warriors' unstoppable small-ball lineup with Draymond Green at center—a unit that the league has collectively been unable to solve.
5. Andrew Bogut
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Sure, the Warriors may gravitate toward small-ball play in key postseason moments, but that doesn't mean Bogut isn't essential to the team's success. Having Green banging against centers over an entire game isn't wise, and there are matchups that will require a 7-footer's presence in the paint.
The Warriors are forced to adjust their scheme when playing conventional lineups, as Bogut will always sag from shooters and camp in the paint, rather than bother with any kind of switching action. While there are opponents who can punish that, Golden State is excellent at collectively forcing guards into the paint where Bogut reigns.
Offensively, Bogut has been every bit as good this season as he was last year. His value doesn't manifest itself in points, but his sturdy, often borderline-illegal screens create a ton of space for the Warriors' springy shooters. There are few big men in the league who can whip around passes from the elbow straight into the path of cutters in such pristine and timely fashion as Bogut regularly does.
With Ezeli out of the rotation for the foreseeable future, Bogut will become even more important leading up to the playoffs.
4. Harrison Barnes
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The Warriors may have survived Barnes' 16-game absence by dropping just one game in that time span, but Golden State is an entirely different beast with the 23-year-old on the court.
Barnes' ability to guard multiple positions and play power forward is just as important as any other element in Golden State's small-ball lineup of death. The Warriors found a temporary solution by putting Livingston in Barnes' spot, but the former lacks the shooting range to truly fit with that group.
Barnes looked rusty returning from his ankle injury, but he finally has his legs under him again. He showed great composure by nailing a dagger corner three to win the game against the Philadelphia 76ers, once again proving that simply taking the ball out of Curry's hands isn't going to cut it.
Golden State's injury situation will likely force head coach Steve Kerr to rely more on small-ball play, and a healthy Barnes is essential to that.
3. Klay Thompson
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Klay Thompson has been phenomenal ever since turning the corner following a slow November. He has had plenty of electric scoring performances, including a 45-point onslaught in the 127-107 victory against the Dallas Mavericks on Jan. 27.
As if the improved play wasn't enough, Thompson added a little gold star to his season summary by outdueling Curry in the Foot Locker Three-Point Contest at All-Star Weekend.
It's easy to forget about Thompson sometimes with so much attention being dedicated to Green and Curry, but he can be just as lethal as his dear Splash Brother. Thompson may not be as consistent and bold in his shotmaking as Curry, but when he catches fire he can single-handedly submerge any opponent.
Thompson hasn't been shy about taking on more responsibility on offense, and his development from a spot-up shooter to a pure scorer has been a joy to watch. He consistently drains his dribble pull-ups, has become more confident attacking the basket and breaks out his post game on those rare occasions when the Warriors go cold and need a basket.
Thompson was undoubtedly the team's second-best player last season, but even with his stellar play, he has to concede that position.
2. Draymond Green
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Everything about Draymond Green is borderline-perfect this season—the infectious, heartwarming smile, the 10 triple-doubles, the exemplary leadership and the unquestionable heart of a champion. The 25-year-old forward is a unique entity in the NBA, and he is forcing the league to alter its definition of what a star is.
ESPN.com's Ethan Sherwood Strauss accurately summed up the perplexing enigma that is Green:
"Although listed as power forward at a shooting guard's height, Green's side work as a 5 has been particularly potent. He swarms larger men defensively, picks apart their tendencies and beats them down the floor on fast breaks. Sometimes, it's difficult to know whether Green is sneakily the league's best center or a harbinger of the position's doom.
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Any player who can make basketball pundits question the sport's conventional norms is undeniably special, and that's precisely what Green has done. He doesn't need to score 20 points to have a significant impact on any given game, as he fills every other void imaginable.
The argument that Green is a product of Golden State's system should be a myth by now. Timely circumstances contributed heavily to his development, but throw him on any NBA team right now and he'll make it better.
Green is the unquestionable No. 2 on this list—only to the league's best player.
1. Stephen Curry
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No argument has to be made about Stephen Curry being at the top of any ranking list anymore. He has eviscerated the league with an unfathomable shotmaking ability that is unlike anything we've ever seen.
Curry's offensive impact is revolutionary. He can torch anyone one-on-one, is a pest off the ball and has to be defended tightly as soon as he crosses the half-court line. Dealing with that is a headache, and it fuels everything Golden State is about.
Any player carrying the offensive load Curry is shouldn't be expected to play elite defense. Even so, he is no longer a black hole on that end of the court.
He can still be exposed in certain areas, but he's made strides in the effort department, which also fuels the transition offense. Opponents are also starting to notice, as Los Angeles Clippers head coach Doc Rivers had some kind words for Curry, per Dan Woike of the Orange County Register:
"Curry, if he’s underrated in one area, it’s defensively. I think the old Curry two years ago, when we played them in the playoffs, you felt like in that series they didn’t put him on Chris much. (I found) out from different guys he wanted to be on him. People don’t talk about his defense. He gets his hands on the ball, he pokes the ball loose a lot. He’s a far better defender than (he gets credit for).
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In a league full of superstars, few can rise to the heights Curry reaches on a regular basis.
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