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After a wonky start to the 2020-21 season, the Golden State Warriors found their footing thanks to some Stephen Curry magic from the field. Draymond Green's return from injury allowed Steve Kerr to give a playing identity to his unit as the Warriors plotted a return to the playoffs.
As good as Curry's shooting and Draymond's playmaking has been this season, the Dubs are still a middle-of-the-pile team in the West. They lost three straight games ahead of the All-Star break and slipped down to the ninth seed with a 19-18 record.
NBA Trade Deadline: Looking at rotational needs that Golden State Warriors' must address
There's no reason why Stephen Curry shouldn't make the playoffs, especially if he's averaging 29.7 points per game. But the Golden State Warriors have some holes they need to fill ahead of the NBA trade deadline to improve their chances. They have the disabled player exception and part of the taxpayer's midlevel exception to pursue players. On that note, let us look at three such roles that need filling.
#1 Spot-up shooter
Despite having all the attention of opposing defenses, Stephen Curry has done a marvelous job from the field this year. Curry's shot the ball at a 41.1% clip from downtown with little to no space around him. As incredible as that is, the Golden State Warriors need to take some of the pressure off their talisman to avoid a regular season burnout.
Now, Andrew Wiggins and Kelly Oubre Jr. are capable shooters who can pop up from time to time. But neither is consistent enough to make the defenders think twice before double-teaming Steph.
If they're able to land someone of the ilk of Steph's brother, Seth, the Warriors can simply move the ball enough until the spot-up shooter finds an open look. If you want to know the potential of such a setup, just look at how well Gary Trent Jr. has thrived playing off of Damian Lillard on the Portland Trail Blazers.
Not only does this create a second go-to option on the perimeter for the Golden State Warriors, but it would also allow Curry to expend less energy to get to his desired shot.
#2 Second unit leader
Given how much Draymond Green's presence helps Stephen Curry, the duo plays together for much of the game. This also implies that the two Golden State Warriors stars hit the bench together and that's when trouble brews. The Dubs have a cumulative plus-minus rating of -51 for the season when both Curry and Draymond are taking a breather.
Brad Wanamaker generally covers ball-handling duties in such situations and he's a decent fit but not much a difference-maker. Andrew Wiggins can get take over proceedings and create his own shots too but he can't really run the show.
The Golden State Warriors need to target a back-up guard who can dictate the tempo of the game on a regular basis when their two primary options are off the court.
#3 Veteran presence
A huge problem for the Golden State Warriors is that they tend to explode down the stretch against the good teams. Even if Stephen Curry and Draymond Green try their best, their teammates aren't adept at making winning plays in the clutch.
There are only three active players on the Golden State Warriors' roster besides Steph and Draymond with more than five years of playing experience- Kelly Oubre Jr., Andrew Wiggins and Kent Bazemore. Oubre was a fringe player when he last made the playoffs, Wiggins has had one winning season in his career, while Bazemore hasn't been to the postseason since 2017.
Most of their roster hasn't been in the NBA or in winning situations long enough to know what it takes to close out games. Acquiring an experienced campaigner –such as George Hill for example – ahead of the NBA trade deadline will allow the Golden State Warriors to collectively play high IQ basketball in the clutch.
Also read: NBA Trade Rumors - Golden State Warriors keeping tabs on Victor Oladipo and Otto Porter Jr.
Guess the Lakers players!
