If you’ve been keeping up with the NBA this season, you will have witnessed a few surprises, such as the Sacramento Kings sitting above .500, and JaVale McGee being touted as a Defensive Player of the Year candidate. You will have also seen that some things stay the same, including Russell Westbrook chasing triple-doubles, and the San Antonio Spurs still hovering near the top of the Western Conference.
Above all of these, you will have been witnessing a surprise that really shouldn’t be a shock to anyone. The Golden State Warriors somehow got richer. And no, I’m not talking about the acquisition of DeMarcus Cousins. I’m referring to an emerging youngster by the name of Alfonzo McKinnie.
Alfonzo McKinnie with the hammer dunk in transition and for the first time, we see him yell and release some raw emotion pic.twitter.com/oaokD0MPHk
— Drew Shiller (@DrewShiller) November 6, 2018
The facts
McKinnie has been a revelation for the Warriors this season. After going undrafted in 2015, he spent some time with the Toronto Raptors, and in the G-League. Amazingly, McKinnie came to the Warriors’ attention because he is a cousin of Stephen Curry’s security guy. You can’t make this stuff up.
McKinnie has averaged 14.7 minutes through each of the Warriors’ 11 games. Through these 11 games, he has put up 6.8 points and 4.1 rebounds on 57.7 percent shooting from the field and 60 percent from beyond the arc. The only negative statistic is his abysmal 37.7 percent free-throw shooting.
What he brings to the Warriors
To have an option like McKinnie off the bench who can score, rebound and play an efficient style of basketball is an amazing luxury for the Dubs. Having a player like McKinnie who can take the pressure of playing big minutes off of Kevin Durant puts the team in a very comfortable position.
JOE LACOB WANTS TO GIVE ALFONZO MCKINNIE A MAX CONTRACT pic.twitter.com/cvVZJTbKjo
— Drew Shiller (@DrewShiller) November 6, 2018
The Warriors’ bench was a major point of concern heading into this season, but with stars like Andre Iguodala, Shaun Livingston, and now McKinnie among others anchoring the ship, the concerns appear to have been too presumptive. While the performance of the superstar starters has gone a long way to the team’s early successes, the bench’s contributions have helped the squad to a 10-1 record.
