The Warriors are shorthanded for now, but it could serve them well in the long run.
For the week of Monday, Mar. 19 – Sunday, Mar. 25
Record: 2-1
Less than a month from now, the Warriors will be playing in a postseason series. That much was ensured when Golden State clinched their fourth-straight Pacific Division title last week.
As the Warriors and their fans know all too well by now, the playoffs are a totally different animal than the regular season. The stakes are obviously higher, with each success and error magnified due to the importance of every outcome. As such, strategies are altered. For instance, benches are often shortened, with some reserves falling completely out of the rotation in order to maximize the number of minutes doled out to the starters. For reserves in particular, there's often a strong correlation between the number of opportunities they receive in the playoffs and the degree to which they capitalized on the opportunities they received during the regular season.
Due to a recent string of injuries to some of Golden State's most critical players, several Dubs' reserves are currently getting an extended opportunity to leave one final, lasting impression before the playoffs begin. And if their play last week is any indication, some are prepared to take full advantage of it.
For instance, while he's certainly not a reserve, Draymond Green is often asked to do some of the less glamorous things on the court when Curry, Durant and Thompson are providing their combined scoring average of 72.6 points per game. But when the Dubs' three top scorers are all out of the lineup, it places Green more in the offensive spotlight, and he took full advantage of an opportunity to showcase more of his offensive side this past week.
Green, who missed the win over the Lakers with a sore shoulder, returned for the final two games of the week, and nearly notched a triple-double in each one. After totaling 14 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists in the loss to the Kings, Green tallied a season-high 25 points the very next night in the win over the Suns, in addition to another 11 boards and eight assists. But perhaps the most promising thing Green showcased last week was his accuracy from three-point range. After struggling with his three-point shot for the majority of the season, Green knocked down seven of his 17 three-point attempts last week, a 41.2 percent clip. While Green won't receive as many three-point opportunities when Golden State gets back to full strength, it will make the Dubs that much tougher to defend if he can be a consistent, accurate threat.
Green, himself, is an All-Star, but there were plenty of reserves that stepped up big time for the Warriors last week. Quinn Cook posted career-highs in scoring on back-to-back nights (more on him in a moment), Nick Young made three three-pointers in every game, and Kevon Looney notched a career-best 13 points and six blocks in the win in Phoenix, the most blocks by any bench player in the NBA this season. Much like Green, the reserves won't be asked to do as much once the Warriors get back to full strength, and particularly so once the playoffs begin. But, in capitalizing on the opportunities presented to them last week, they're proving they'll be ready when called upon, if and when that time arrives.
Standout Spotlight: Quinn Cook
It can't be easy for any player to take Stephen Curry's place in the starting lineup. When you're a two-way player with only a handful of career starts to your NBA resume, it wouldn't be at all surprising to see one shrink in the face of such a lofty standard.
Quinn Cook may not be the tallest guy on the court, but you won't see him shrinking from anything, either.
In the three games last week, Cook averaged 22.0 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game on 63.4 percent shooting from the field and 64.7 percent shooting from three-point range. If that isn't a great Steph Curry impression, I don't know what is.
Cook was particularly great in the back-to-back to close out the week, first establishing a career high with 25 points against the Kings, before surpassing that the very next night with 28 points against Phoenix, the most points scored by a two-way player in the NBA this season.
As a two-way player, Cook has split his time between Santa Cruz and Golden State this season. He ranks second in the G League in scoring, and will easily qualify as the first 50-40-90 player in G League history this year. But perhaps his most impressive attribute has been his ability to step right into a Western Conference playoff race at the NBA level and not skip a beat.
Since he's on a two-way contract, he currently doesn't have a spot on the playoff roster. However, he's doing everything in his power to make a case as to why he deserves one.
The Week Ahead:
It's entirely possible the Warriors will remain without the help of Curry, Durant or Thompson throughout the week ahead, making it more challenging than it would be otherwise. Golden State's week begins on Monday with a road matchup in San Antonio against a desperate Spurs team, but following that contest, the Dubs will begin a four-game homestand, and won't play again until Friday night. That homestand begins with a matchup against the Hawks, and continues on Sunday when the Warriors close out the week against the streaking Utah Jazz.
Till next week.