There were plenty of reasons why the Golden State Warriors shocked the world four-and-a-half years ago, and won their fourth NBA championship in a span of eight years. Steph Curry was the main reason, obviously, while Steve Kerr, Draymond Green, and Klay Thompson were huge factors. Andrew Wiggins’ temporary leap to stardom was integral, as were the contributions of the team’s rookies.
One of the most underrated reasons for the Warriors championship that year? Jordan Poole, who blossomed from an inconsistent
and often inefficient youngster into a bonafide bucket. Bouncing between a starting role and a sixth man gig, Poole dropped in 18.5 points per game that year on remarkable efficiency, while jump-starting the offense seemingly every time Curry needed a breather.
And ever since that breakout campaign, the Warriors have been in search of someone to fill that role. Whether it was due to regression or the result of being punched at practice by Green, Poole was unable to reprise his role as effectively the next season, and was traded at the end of the year. The Warriors tried to shift Thompson into a similar role, but it was clunky and awkward, and he left town. They hoped Jonathan Kuminga could fill the void, but it never happened. Buddy Hield was signed for that explicit purpose, but was far too inconsistent. Seth Curry arrived as a feel-good story, but was never healthy.
For the Warriors to have another surprising year of contention, a lot of things will need to go right. One of those things is the emergence of someone to fill that role that Poole perfected all those years ago.
And after one preseason games, Brandon Williams certainly looks like he could be that player.
Williams was sensational in Sunday’s meaningless Hawaiian loss to the LA Clippers. He attacked the basket relentlessly and effortlessly, scoring 11 points in just 15:30 of action, while adding two rebounds, three assists, and one steal, and finishing with a team-high plus/minus of +16. He gave the Dubs something that they’ll sorely be lacking until Jimmy Butler III returns from his ACL surgery: scoring inside the arc. While Williams missed both of his three-point attempts (and is just a career 28.0% shooter from deep), he went 4-for-7 from inside the arc, and compounded that with a trio of free throws (where he’s shot 77.5% for his career).
Three of Williams’ four buckets were on plays where he cut through the defense and got to the rim, and afterwards it was fairly clear that Kerr was excited by what the speedy 26-year old can bring to the offense.
It’s a downhill dynamic that has been missing from the Warriors since Poole’s departure. We all remember Poole hoisting heat-check three after heat-check three, but the element he brought to the offense that impacted the team the most was his ability to splice through the defense and attack the rim. That ability is crucial when the team is in need of a bucket, and it opens up perimeter opportunities for the rest of the team.
And it’s an area where Williams has thrived. Last year, when he averaged a career-best 13.0 points per game (in just 22.2 minutes), the majority of his shots were near the hoop, despite always being one of the shortest players on the court. An impressive 59.0% of Williams’ shots last year were within 10 feet of the hoop, with more than half of those shots coming at the rim. That’s compounded by the shots that aren’t counted: despite the modest minute totals, Williams attempted 4.6 free throws per game last season.
The Warriors need someone who can attack, attack, attack, and Williams could perfectly fit that role. Of course, as is always the case with the Dubs, so much of his success will be dependent on if he can make the right reads and decisions, and commit to defense and other factors in the game. After all, Kuminga had no problem attacking the rim, but trying him out for the spark plug role was a five-year demonstration of shoving a square peg through a round hole. Thankfully, after his first stint in a Warriors jersey, Williams seems to be endearing himself to his new team, which would suggest that Golden State is happy with the other elements of his game.
We’ll learn more in the coming weeks, but Williams certainly has a chance to be one of the steals of the offseason. With Yaxel Lendeborg and Brandin Podziemski looking like they can be high-impact role players this year, the door is open for Williams to be the spark plug off the bench who leads the second unit when Curry is off the court.
