Golden State Warriors: Ranking every member of the team’s bench

4. Glenn Robinson III

Glenn Robinson III has automatically been thrust into the fourth most important spot on the bench thanks to the limited depth of the small forward position.

Even if Klay Thompson does return, it won’t be until late in the season, which makes Robinson the favorite to hold down responsibilities at the three.

He’ll also be working against the impending comparisons of however he’s doing and what the fans might have been able to expect out of Alfonzo McKinnie. If Robinson stumbles out of the gate or looks completely lost in the mix, people will question McKinnie being waived.

The stage is set for a lot of pressure being on Robinson, in that regard.

The good news, though, is that this could be his most legitimate chance of becoming something in the NBA. He’s getting the opportunity to be on the floor with two shooters who demand a lot of defensive attention. That takes the offensive pressure off of him.

Robinson, at best, could fill in as a sort of poor man’s Harrison Barnes until Klay Thompson returns.

He won’t be nearly as talented on the defensive end, but he’s shown an ability to run the floor and finish at the rim. If he’s knocking down corner threes while he’s left open, then the Warriors will be rolling.

The bad news on Robinson is that his floor is pretty low. He hasn’t been very impressive in any of his five seasons in the NBA. That could mean that he hasn’t found the right system that suits his playing style yet.

Or it might mean that he’s not that good. We’ll have to see what he can do with Golden State.

The tools, at the very least, seem to be there. But for the 26-year-old with all kinds of pressure to live up to, something’s going to have to come together for him soon.

Call it a hunch, but it seems like Robinson might be able to take that next step and fit into the lineup at least to the level that McKinnie was able to. He moves quickly enough to be able to eventually be a quality perimeter defender.

His finishing at the rim will be instrumental to the Warriors’ dependency on running the break.

There’s still an emergency exit plan for the Warriors if Robinson turns out to be a dud, but hopefully it won’t have to come to that.

The Golden State Warriors, at least out of the gate, will have to lean on Robinson and hope that his frustrations in Detroit last year have molded him into a somewhat consistent player that can play off of their all-star backcourt.

There’s plenty of risk involved, but Robinson might end up rising to the occasion. He really doesn’t have any other choice.