Throughout the most of the 2023–24 NBA season, the Warriors have made adjustments to their starting lineups due to a lack of output or injuries. Steve Kerr, their coach, is still unsure that he has the ideal lineup.
That production Golden State has received from its bench, though, has been constant regardless of who is playing for the second unit.
When it looked like the Mavericks would easily win the game, the Warriors’ bench intervened and immediately started to turn the game around in Friday’s 108-106 loss to the Mavericks in Dallas.
The starters didn’t seem particularly coordinated or in rhythm the entire game, but the second unit kept contributing significant minutes and clutch plays.
It was by no means a revelation to Dub Nation. The Warriors have benefited from consistent and reliable bench play throughout the whole season. Gary Payton II said,
“We’ve been pretty much the same all year,” “Just coming in, stay afloat, pick it up or continue where the first group left off and just continue to be solid.”
In Dallas, the reserves accomplished even more than that. The Mavericks successfully stopped Golden State players Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson from truly getting hot for the second time in four days. The pair combined for 44 points on Friday, but they only shot 16 of 40 overall and went 7 of 22 from beyond the arc. On Tuesday, they were both limited to under 15 points against Dallas.
