The Golden State Warriors competed in their fifth straight NBA Finals against the Toronto Raptors this season. With their starting lineup of five NBA All-Stars, Golden State is widely considered to be the best ever NBA team.
The Warriors created their dynasty through great draft picks including Stephen Curry in 2009, Klay Thompson in 2011, and Draymond Green in 2012. Kevin Durant, DeMarcus Cousins, and Andre Iguodala were picked up in free-agency deals.
Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant were the only two players under huge contracts in 2019 making a combined $67.5 million. As he was coming off an Achilles injury, the Warriors luckily signed DeMarcus Cousins for a mere $5.3 million, while Klay Thompson and Draymond Green are still making around $18 million a year off early contracts and extensions.
The Dub Nation reign over the NBA seems to be coming to an end with Klay Thompson, Kevin Durant, and DeMarcus Cousins all seeking max contracts following the 2019 NBA season — not to mention the injuries suffered. Bench player, Quinn Cook is also facing free-agency, while Sean Livingston is getting old approaching age 35.
The Warriors are in dire need of signing players in the off-season to replace the talent that is leaving. Austin Rivers ought to be a guard the Warriors should heavily pursue in 2019 free-agency.
Austin Rivers is an athletic, big-bodied guard at 6’4’’ 200 pounds with a nice jump shot. Spending 27 games with the Clippers and 47 games with Rockets, Rivers had a very consistent 2019 season. Coming off the bench, he averaged 8.1 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game.
In the 2019 playoffs, Austin Rivers established himself as an offensive threat. He averaged 7.2 ppg off the bench shooting 43.5% from the floor. With 33 games of playoff experience now under his belt, Rivers is an experienced playoff guard.
The Warriors’ bench struggled heavily in the 2019 playoffs to keep up with the pace of the starting lineup. As key players Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson, and Kevin Looney succumbed to injuries, Stephen Curry found himself facing the scoring burden alone. Backup point guards Quinn Cook and Sean Livingston did not step up as they combined for only 8.3 points per game.
Golden State has dominated the NBA with their players’ ability to shoot three-pointers. Sharpshooters Klay Thompson and Kevin Durant combined to average 4.7 three-pointers per game in 2019; both possibly may not re-sign with the Warriors.
This Austin Rivers shot gave the Rockets a new single-game record with 27 3-pointers 🚀 pic.twitter.com/syYvlwigpv
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 8, 2019
Austin Rivers knocked down 104 three-pointers in the 2019 season and shot an impressive 45.7% from three-point range in the playoffs. Playing similar to Nick Young in the 2018 season, Rivers could become a pivotal shooter off the bench for the Warriors.
With Andre Iguodala turning 36 years-old and Sean Livingston at 35, the Warriors are not getting the same bench productivity as they are used to. Austin Rivers is not afraid to shoot the basketball and can run the Warriors’ offense when Curry is off the floor. If Golden State wants to continue their dominance over the NBA – shooting the basketball and winning games – Austin River, could at a reasonable price, become a pivotal piece to the Warriors’ offensive scheme.
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