For years, Warriors’ fans have held their breath when Stephen Curry made his way to the bench for his usual stints of rest. It felt like every moment Curry was on the court was a moment that Golden State needed to take advantage of. After all, it was only a matter of time before he would come out of the game.
The reason those minutes felt daunting is due to the Warriors’ tendency to fall apart once their star exits. Defenses can relax without him to draw attention, loading up on other players. The floor drastically shrinks in his absence, and offense becomes stagnant.
Each second Curry was off the court was a waiting game for him to return. Leads vanished. Deficits surged. Often, Curry could only wait anxiously on the bench and watch his team’s chances slip away.
If the Warriors could just survive the non-Steph minutes, they would be in a much better position to win games.
Now, thanks to the implementation of a new lineup, the Warriors aren’t just surviving in those minutes; they’re thriving.
New-Look Warriors Lineup
The Warriors have been able to hold the fort down when Steph sits because of their new bench rollout. A large reason for the improved unit is Al Horford and De’Anthony Melton’s returns from injury.
Both players initially struggled offensively in their first several games this season. After Horford returned from his sciatic injury, which sidelined him for several weeks, he has found his shot and looks more comfortable with the team. Melton has also found rhythm after notching 14 games into his belt.
The combination of Horford and Melton, along with Jimmy Butler, Brandin Podziemski, and Will Richard, has a +32.6 net rating together. They own a 97.9 defensive rating and 130.4 offensive rating, thriving in the minutes without their defensive and offensive anchors.
Statistically, this lineup is even better than the Warriors’ starting five: Curry, Butler, Moses Moody, Draymond Green, and Quinten Post. In that group, the starters boast a -2.3 rating, including 117.3 offensively and 119.6 defensively.
A pivotal part of the magic that makes this unit work is not just Melton or Horford, but Jimmy Butler.
Butler has steadily anchored the bench units while Green and, more frequently, Curry are sitting down. Steve Kerr’s decision to stagger Curry and Butler’s minutes ensures at least one of the two is on the floor at all times. What’s most significant is that in Butler’s minutes without Curry or Green alongside him, the Warriors are +11.9.
Warriors’ Bench Is Winning Them Games
Friday night against the Kings was a prime example of the Warriors’ second unit essentially winning the game. When Curry checked out with just over three minutes to play in the third quarter, the score was tied at 84. After Curry was swapped for Butler, the team rattled off a 13-0 run to close the third. By the time Curry was reinserted to start the fourth quarter, the Warriors had an 97-84 advantage.
In Brooklyn, on December 29, a similar story played out. The game was close throughout with multiple lead changes. The aforementioned five-man group made a run in the fourth to extend their lead to double digits with under four minutes to go. The Warriors’ bench outscored the Nets 58-27, scoring nearly half of the team’s 120 points.
The new group excels both offensively and defensively. Kerr had experimented with several players next to Butler, partially due to team injuries. But what makes the second unit so successful is the balance of I.Q., shooting, and defense. Butler is surrounded by three-point threats in Horford, Richard, and Podziemski.
Melton has found his stroke from beyond the arc at the start of January. The team is 5-0 this season when Melton makes at least two three-pointers. In other words, the supporting cast has a heavy hand on the Dubs’ chances of earning a win.
The Warriors have also received important contributions from Gui Santos, who saw an uptick in his minutes following the team’s 103-102 loss to the Clippers. His versatility offensively and defensively makes him a fit in both Curry and Butler-led lineups. With Horford’s return, Kerr can shuffle through the center position between Santos, Horford, and Quinten Post for shooting and defense.
Going Forward
The rhythm that the Warriors have found allows them to remain competitive even in the non-Curry minutes. Rather than Curry needing to play Superman the second he checks back in, he and Dub Nation can rest knowing it’s not panic time. The energy expended by Curry over the course of an 82-game season must be limited so he can remain fresh for a potential playoff run.
Running Curry into the ground, as he was last season, eventually took its toll by the time playoffs came. With Golden State ranked fourth in bench scoring, the team finds ways to win when Curry or the starters don’t have it going.
The Warriors’ next five games all come at home. The team is finally healthy; therefore, this is their best shot to make a big push out of the Play-In bracket.
The new lineup gives the Warriors something they haven’t had in a while — a reliable unit capable of climbing out of deficits and pushing leads.
The Warriors are just three games behind the Houston Rockets for the No. 7 seed. After a rough first two months of the season, they are finally finding some stability.
The new bench lineup has already won the team several games thus far, and they may just be the difference makers at the end of the season.
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