Getty Jordan Poole of the Golden State Warriors.
Just one year ago, the Golden State Warriors were raising the Larry O’Brien Trophy. Now, they are fighting to stay out of the Play-In Tournament.
Besides an awful 9-30 record on the road, the bench — despite the obvious talent of players such as Jordan Poole and Jonathan Kuminga — has been inconsistent, to the point that the Warriors are worrying bench heading into the postseason, ” >according to Heavy Sports’ Sean Deveney.
“That has been a problem for them all season, really, and they’re worried about it,” a Western Conference executive told Deveney. “The players are worried about it, the coaches are worried about it, the front office was. That was why they went and got [Gary] Payton [at the trade deadline].
“They have talent on the bench when you have [Donte] DiVincenzo and Jordan Poole, Kuminga and JaMychal Green, plus Payton. But what they don’t have is chemistry and they don’t have their roles set up. That was so important last year. They had Otto Porter and [Nejmanja] Bjelica, and they had Poole and Payton. They knew what they’d get with each of those guys and they could throw out Moses Moody or Kuminga if they needed. Now you have guys and you just don’t know what they’re going to give you. That is what they are worried about most there.”
Though the Warriors have one of the best starting lineups in the league, the second unit ranks 22nd out of 30 in terms of plus-minus (-338).
Jordan Poole Sounds Off on Andrew Wiggins
The bench got a boost April 4 when Andrew Wiggins returned to the team before the Warriors beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 136-125. He had been out since February 13 to deal with a personal matter. Wiggins was inactive for the Thunder game, but his presence was welcome.
“I’m glad he took the time that he needed,” Poole said . “We’re welcoming him back with open arms. Really excited. Good energy. Positive energy to have him back. He just is such a bright light and has such an amazing spirit. It’s just dope to be around him, and it’s definitely good to have him back in the locker room.”
There’s still “no clear timeline” regarding Wiggins’ return to the lineup, according to USA Today’s Tommy Call III.
Steve Kerr Sends Message on Moses Moody
Meanwhile, in the win over Oklahoma City, Moody played a huge role off the bench. After the game, Stephen Curry praised both him and Kuminga for their ability and willingness to stay ready.
“It’s just a matter of being ready [and] staying ready,” Curry said. “They’ve been asked to play a lot of different roles. Been in and out of the rotation. JK’s [Kuminga] obviously played a lot more recently and has proven that he’s taking that next step. It’s still [about] trying to put game after game together, and those guys, to be able to show up when we’re still missing wings [and] Klay [Thompson] goes down, they stay ready. For Mo [Moody], though, I think he saw enough Razorbacks out there. He felt like he was back in college for a little bit.”
