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It goes without saying that Stephen Curry carried the biggest burden in the Golden State Warriors' run to the 2021-22 NBA title. No lone star, however, no matter how radiant on its own, can ever lift a team to a title without some big-time performances from the players around them.
His co-stars certainly had their moments. Klay Thompson had five games scoring at least 25 points throughout the posteason. And while Draymond Green had his fair share of struggles throughout the NBA Finals, he did arguably win Game 2 agains the Boston Celtics with his sheer physicality and came up large in Game 6 to seal their fourth ring.
But with those guys, it's an expectation and not a surprise that they perform well. That's what drew so much attention to Draymond Green's struggles in the first place.
But what about the other guys? The Warriors got some series-shifting performances from some of their non-Big 3 players. Here are the Warriors' role players, ranked by who deserves the biggest thank you from Stephen Curry:
5 most crucial Warriors role players in NBA title run, ranked
#5 – Otto Porter Jr.
Ever since the departure of Kevin Durant, the Golden State Warriors have been trying to find that key stretch forward – someone who could come to hit threes and fill in as a small-ball four at times.
In 2019-20, they tried both Eric Paschall and Glenn Robinson III for large chunks of the season, but neither had the size and versatility to ultimately fill that role. Then the following year they tried Kelly Oubre Jr., who had all the physical tools to fill that role but had was far from a reliable shooter to space the floor and take advantage of the gravity that Stephen Curry pulls.
Otto Porter Jr. fit that role to a tee. He's a legit 6'9″ presence who can comfortable slide into the four spot and is a career 40% shooter from distance. The best part is he fits in seamlessly into the Warriors offense rather than needing to create their own shot like Paschal or forcing disjointed attempts like Oubre Jr.
While Porter didn't really have a breakout game this postseason, never scoring more than 13 points, he always looked like he belonged when he was on the floor. That, in of itself, is a crucial trait for a role player on a contending team. His speculated Wilt Chamberlain genes didn't hurt, either.
#4 – Gary Payton II
Speaking of genes, Gary Payton II certainly did his father proud en route to winning a title with the Warriors. GPII flashed his elite athleticism at the guard spot and was a key component to Golden State's versatility.
With two small guards in Stephen Curry and Jordan Poole primarily focused on offense, it was up to Payton to inject some hustle and energy from the backcourt when needed.
Truth be told, his largest impact might have been as a symbolic figure in the West Semis against the Memphis Grizzlies. After suffering a scary injury at the hands of Dillon Brooks, the Warriors were extra motivated to avenge their sidelined teammate in what turned into an animosity-filled series.
But he certainly still made an impact on the court, particularly with a strong performance in Game 5 of the NBA Finals, scoring 15 points and locking in on Jayson Tatum on the defensive end.
Nice split by Tatum but look at how just Gary Payton II's presence makes Tatum start his gather so far away from the rim lol, GP2 the rim deterrer! pic.twitter.com/lcJdT9psoX
— Abdel (@abdel_taco) June 14, 2022
#3 – Jordan Poole
While Gary Payton II's defense proved to be impactful, Jordan Poole's offense became invaluable for Golden State. Despite the heightened pressure of playing in his first ever postseason, Poole actually got more efficient with the added stakes, jumping from 44.8% to 50.8% from the field and 36.4% to 39.1% from the three-point line. He did that while still shooting 91.5% from the free-throw line.
Poole's value was evident the most in minutes that Stephen Curry would be on the bench. And boy, did Steve Kerr press his luck with sitting Curry for long stretches. He averaged just 34.5 minutes per game during the regular season, which barely changed, upping to just 34.7 in 22 postseason contests. In contract, Jayson Tatum played 41 minutes per game and was likely much more exhausted as compared to Steph Curry.
Jordan Poole with back-to-back 3's forces the Celtics into a timeout 🙌pic.twitter.com/l0elRYLE28
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) June 11, 2022
Curry and Kerr have Jordan Poole to thank for such a luxury. Poole's dynamic offense capably buoyed the Golden State second unit for key stretches without their superstar on the floor. There was never a lineup wherein the opposing team wasn't worry about the lead guard on the floor wearing blue and gold. That kept Steph Curry fresh as
#2 – Kevon Looney
You could argue that Jordan Poole was potentially the second most important role player for the Warriors in the playoffs. But there's still a reality wherein Stephen Curry just bears a bigger burden on offense and they still win the title. You likely can't say the same for Kevon Looney.
With James Wiseman still out of the picture, Looney put even the filthiest of garbage men to shame with how much dirty work he put in for the Warriors. Big Loon has some series-shifting performances throughout the title run.
There was his 22-rebound night in Game 6 to close out the Memphis Grizzlies, who decided to go big with the insertion of Steven Adams back into the rotation. He also had games of 21-12 and a 10-18 in the West Finals against a Dallas Mavericks team severely lack in size. He led the series in total rebounds despite playing just the 9th most minutes.
“I’m tired.” Kevon Looney on playing all 104 games. Still, he feels he could “play some more.” pic.twitter.com/m6bqSuZkcd
— Janie McCauley (@JanieMcCAP) June 18, 2022
Then of course he proved vital against a Boston frontline that featured an ageless Al Horford and a behemoth in Robert Williams. Nobody can say that Kevon Looney didn't earn his ring this season.
#1 – Andrew Wiggins
There's an argument to be made the Andrew Wiggins doesn't count as a role player. He was named an All-Star Game starter, after all. But given the way that he was used throughout the entire playoff run, he was very clearly used as a role player. The difference is he just did it at an All-Star level.
Andrew Wiggins was deployed as the primary defender against both Luka Doncic and Jayson Tatum. Doncic was coming off a dominant West Semis wherein he completely manhandled DPOY candidate Mikal Bridges to the tune of 32.6 points per game on 47.6% shooting. Against Wiggins, his shooting percentage dropped dramatically to a below-average 41.5%.
The drop-off was even worse for Jayson Tatum, who virtually turned into a pumpkin agains Wiggs shooting a miserable 36.7% from the field throughout the series. Beyond just the statistics, the eye-test was even more stunning in how much Andrew Wiggins dominated that matchup.
Andrew Wiggins with a HUGE block on Jayson Tatum 🚫pic.twitter.com/Z5ETP8dD1F
— Warriors Nation (@WarriorNationCP) June 17, 2022
Andrew Wiggins didn't have many plays run through him nor did he initiate offense the same way Poole, Curry, or Klay did. But he put on a masterclass on how to consistently put up points without being the focal point. He would attack closeouts with ferocity after getting a kickout pass. He would crash the glass for putbacks while swooping over larger defenders.
He was everything the Warriors needed and more. Stephen Curry needs to send a gift basket to go along with a heartfelt letter for his Canada-made Swiss army knife of a teammate in Andrew Wiggins.
