The Golden State Warriors have always been defined by the play of their star players. Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green are the three who have spearheaded the success of this franchise and lifted them to four championships since 2015. Just looking at this season so far, it is clear to see the impact Curry makes on a nightly basis, hitting clutch threes and continuing to set records at 35 years old.
Looking back on each of the Warriors' four championship runs though, the one constant that sticks out is the amount of depth they had outside of their core group.
In 2015, it was Andre Iguodala, Shaun Livingston, and Leandro Barbosa who stepped up on the bench. Moving forward a couple of years to 2017 and 2018, Livingston and Iguodala continued to excel in their roles with JaVale McGee and even Kevon Looney stepping up in the second unit. Most recently during their 2022 championship run, it was Jordan Poole, Gary Payton II, and Otto Porter Jr. that provided the necessary, championship-level depth on the bench.
Last season was a major disappointment for the Warriors and it never appeared as if they had a chance to defend their title. Injuries, lack of communication, and the unwillingness to accept different roles limited the team's overall potential. Not to mention, Golden State's bench struggled to find their identity with the constant lineup changes. This was one of the many factors that led to their downfall in the Western Conference Semifinals.
The Warriors have started the 2023-24 season with new life and energy. Curry and his fellow All-Stars look rejuvenated after a longer offseason than what they are used to, and Golden State has established a bench that is willing to buy into lesser roles in order for the team to succeed.
Warriors' bench amongst the league's best
Chris Paul, Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody, Gary Payton II, and Dario Saric are the four focal points of the Warriors' bench unit this season. So far, all five players have held different roles in order to take pressure off of the likes of Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, and the team's starting core.
While many questioned how Paul would fit in with the Warriors, he has been a stabilizing presence in the backcourt. Not only has Paul been an upgrade from Jordan Poole in the sense that the veteran doesn't turn the ball over and can make plays for this team's stars, but the future Hall of Fame point guard has held a similar role to that of both Andre Iguodala and Shaun Livingston.
For years, Iguodala and Livingston were players who came into the game and immediately made their presence felt by changing the pace, tone, and flow due to their high basketball IQ. Paul is not the defender Iggy or Livingston were, yet he is still finding success by slowing things down and allowing the Warriors to find high percentage looks on the offensive side of the court.
The Warriors have really embraced Paul's contributions and head coach Steve Kerr has had nothing but good things to say about the 38-year-old.
“It's massive. It's massive the way Chris has embraced everything here in the first month since he's been with us,” Kerr stated at the start of the season. “When a vet, an All-Star, shows that kind of sacrifice, it sets the tone for the whole team.”
As good as Paul has been in terms of maintaining possessions and finding his open teammates, the rest of the bench has really stepped up this season. Saric and Kuminga have provided much-needed depth in the frontcourt, plus Moody has become a more confident shooter and scorer on the wing. As for Payton, he's still one of the league's most underrated defenders who just so happens to be in the Warriors' two best defensive lineups this season.
Speaking of the Warriors' rotations, their five-man group of Paul, Moody, Payton, Kuminga, and Saric has played the second-most minutes together behind only the team's starting rotation. This bench unit has struggled to score at times, hence their negative net rating, but they've held their opponents to just 111.0 points per 100 possessions, a very respectable number for a bench unit.
As a whole, the Warriors also rank fifth in total bench points this season. Believe it or not, their bench ranks first in the league in rebounding and second in offensive rebounding. Effort and intensity are what the Warriors are receiving from their secondary talents right now, which has helped them begin the 2023-24 season with a 6-3 record, including five wins away from Chase Center.
“When we saw the schedule at the beginning of the year, and we saw seven of the first nine of the road, especially with a lot of new guys and trying to fit the new guys in, Draymond [Green] being out all of camp, we looked at it and said we needed to just get through that stretch,” Kerr said after Wednesday night's game in Denver, via The Athletic's Anthony Slater. “We did more than that going 6-3. We are 5-2 on the road. That's a great way to start the year out. We are at a good position. The team is connected and competing every night.”
Whether it is Paul, Kuminga, Saric, or someone else, the Warriors' bench has truly been the driving force behind their early season success. Kerr has acknowledged this and while they may not be the first players off the bench, Golden State's rookies have also managed to make a difference in the team's victories.
Brandin Podziemski, Trayce Jackson-Davis earning trust
It can be really tough to find minutes in the NBA as a rookie, especially when you're not one of the first few players selected in the draft. When the Warriors selected Brandin Podziemski in the first round and Trayce Jackson-Davis in the second this past summer, nobody really envisioned either rookie holding that large of a role.
Nine games into the 2023-24 season, both Podzeimski and Jackson-Davis have worked their way into the Warriors' rotation off the bench and they have held their own. It's clear to see that these two rookies are smarter than most youngsters in the league, and playing their roles becomes a whole lot easier next to some of the league's greatest talents.
Whereas Podziemski has played in just three games, Jackson-Davis has seen time in four different games this season, recording 13 points and nine rebounds in 20 minutes off the bench just over a week ago against the New Orleans Pelicans. On Wednesday night against the Denver Nuggets, the Warriors' rookies each saw double-digit minutes off the bench, with Jackson-Davis finishing +4 for the game and Podziemski finishing +8, the second-highest mark on the team in the game.
“We believe in those guys, they're ready to play,” Kerr said of his rookies in his postgame remarks on Wednesday night. “They've got great feel, they're competitive, they're strong physically. They hold up really well and we are really fortunate to have them. We'll throw them out there in any situation. We have a lot of confidence in them.”
With Draymond Green and Gary Payton II out of the lineup against the Nuggets, the Warriors turned to their bench to fill some gaps. Podziemski did a nice job playing alongside Chris Paul in the backcourt as a secondary facilitator and Jackson-Davis played a big role behind Kevon Looney and Dario Saric, who was in the starting lineup due to Draymond's absence.
The rookie big man still has some work to do in order to hold his own defensively, but he had some nice moments offensively, especially in the third quarter when the Warriors were looking to fight their way back into the game after trailing by seven points at halftime.
Not only does Kerr recognize what the team has in their rookies, but Klay Thompson also discussed the impact Jackson-Davis can make in the frontcourt following their game against the Nuggets.
“I love Trayce’s game,” Thompson said, via The Athletic. “He’s going to be in the NBA a long, long time. He’s ready. He’s able right now. What a steal we got late in the second. He’s going to be a huge help for us all year.”
Steph Curry also chimed in on Jackson-Davis' play recently, claiming that Jackson-Davis can put pressure on the Warriors' opponents by staying aggressive on both sides of the court.
While the Warriors did come up short of a victory in Denver, they continue to learn more about their team. Even with Green and Payton out, the Warriors were able to remain even with the defending NBA champions until the very last minute of the game. Both of the rookies continue to step up when their number is called, leading the Warriors to have arguably the deepest team in the league.
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