Golden State Warriors Roundtable: 5 Questions on the 2014-15 Season
1. How would you grade the Warriors’ offseason moves (signing Shaun Livingston, Brandon Rush, Leandro Barbosa, etc)? How will the Warriors’ bench compare to last season?
September 29, 2014; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Shaun Livingston (34) uses social media format Snapchat during media day at the Warriors Practice Facility. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Brian Banifatemi: I would give the Warriors a B grade for their offseason acquisitions. They didn’t get anybody that really jumps out at you, but Shaun Livingston will help give Curry some rest at point guard and Brandon Rush will provide even more perimeter shooting and athleticism on defense. Leandro Barbosa’s speed and quickness will help the Warriors put some more transition buckets on the board, so overall, they made some solid moves but nothing too special.
Marc Grandi: B-. While the Golden State Warriors had a very productive offseason, their successes are hidden from view after failing to acquire Kevin Love from the Timberwolves. Golden State’s offseason would receive a large boost if the Warriors’ brass can agree to a contract extension with Klay Thompson before the season starts. As of now, things seem a little rocky between the two parties, but—as we all now—things can change in a hurry. Assuming Shaun Livingston’s injury proves minor, expect the Warriors’ bench to be leaps and bounds better than last season. They now have a proven backup to Curry in Livingston (who can also play shooting guard), a player who can create his own shot in Leandro Barbosa, and another three-point shooter in Brandon Rush who will thrive off the ball.
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Nick Hjeltness: The Warriors deserve a solid B+ grade for their offseason moves. Shaun Livingston is one of the better backup PG’s in the league and his size creates a mismatch nightmare. Brandon Rush is a classic “3 and D” guy and will become a fan favorite once again. Leandro Barbosa won’t be asked to do much as the third point guard, but he’ll provide easy baskets on the break and will knock down his fair share of threes. This bench unit will be a definite upgrade over last year’s unit.
Brendan Kennealy: I would grade the Warriors’ offseason moves as a “B”. I think that the bench has definitely improved and can contend with any other bench unit in the Western Conference. Getting a handful of capable ball handling guards will also help the offense as Stephen Curry won’t be called on to handle the ball at all times and can come off of screens for more catch-and-shoot opportunities with any of the new guards bringing the ball up.
Angelo Mendoza: I would give the Warriors a B- on their offseason moves based solely on the fact they were unable (or unwilling) to pick up another backup center. Festus Ezeli is still coming back from injury along with Andrew Bogut, and while Ognjen Kuzmic has potential, he has yet to reach it. Although I strongly believe the Warriors bench will be much better than last season — especially seeing as this year’s bench has serviceable two-way guys at every position and head coach Steve Kerr will be implementing what seems to be an improved offensive strategy — I still would have liked a veteran presence in the middle to staple the bench’s frontcourt. Nevertheless, Shaun Livingston and Leandro Barbosa as backup point guards could prove extremely advantageous to a team that lacked a backup floor general last season, and it’s great having Brandon Rush back on the squad.