Golden State Warriors: Don’t underestimate the importance of Nick Young (Swaggy P) for bench
The Golden State Warriors are focused on two things– their team and winning another championship. Steve Kerr is not worried about the drama unfolding in Cleveland, nor is he worried about the pairing of James Harden and Chris Paul. What he’s looking for are ways to improve his team and that starts with the bench. The Warriors bench played well in spurts in 2016 but they were still minus a real scorer. For those asking– this is why the Warriors went out and took a chance on Nick Young aka Swaggy P.
Andre Iguodala can still put the ball in the basket but he’s more viewed as the defensive stopper when called upon. Shaun Livingston plays an average of 15 minutes per, but he does a great job of controlling the second unit with his passing and driving ability. David West can still crash the boards as a reserve but his high-scoring days are over. The Warriors need a player who can help increase leads while on the floor and that’s what Young does best.
Last season for the Lakers, Young averaged 13 points on 43 percent shooting and 40 percent from the three-point line. Not that the Warriors need more shooters but in a sense they do. What Young will add is another veteran presence and spacing for the second unit. It will allow Iggy and Livingston to focus on what they do best plus give the Warriors second unit the same spark in which Draymond Green provides for the starters.
If the Warriors find themselves in a jam during the season or the playoffs, Young may be the player Kerr wants on the floor with his starters. Kerr is known to play small-ball a lot so an offensive lineup that features, Stephen Curry, Young, Klay Thompson, Kevin Durant and Green could give defenses fits on the floor.
Another good thing about Young is that he’s energetic and gets after it on the defensive end as well. He’s a Warriors type player who just happened to be on other teams. While coaches were focusing on the bigger name players, Kerr found his missing piece in the rubble.
Mark has been covering Sports and Entertainment for the past six years. His work has been featured on Bleacher Report, ESPN, Fox Sports, Teen Vogue, and many other websites.
