San Francisco Chronicle - (Sunday)
Bench bums became fearsome unit
Motley crew of veterans, journeymen, rookies delivered big performances
With apologies to Reggie Jackson, Gary Payton II is the NBA’s Mr. October.
The Golden State Warriors’ super sub has been waived four times in October, by four different NBA teams, beginning in 2016. The most recent pink slip was handed to him last October, by the Warriors.
Payton, then, can serve as the poster dude for the Warriors’ bench, a ragtag collection of former nobodies that some might think had no business backing up an NBA championship team.
You can’t really blame general manager Bob Myers. After the Warriors’ four big guys got paid, only crumbs were left with which to build a bench. So Myers went the garage-sale route, assembling an unimpressive Bum Unit — Andre Iguodala’s term for the second string.
The only non-bums were teenage rookies Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody, but they were slated to be brought along slowly, prepping for next season. The rest? Bum-ish.
Payton? He spent five seasons knocking around hoops like a door-to-door salesman. When the Warriors waived him just before the season opener, 29 other teams yawned and passed.
Otto Porter Jr.? Washed up at 28 when the Warriors signed him for the veteran minimum. A string of injuries had rendered the once-excellent Porter a dusty garage-sale item.
Nemanja Bjelica? At 33, his modest career was on the decline. Maybe Belly, as the guys call him, could knock down the odd 3, provide some spacing. The Warriors were stunned by his ball movement, and surprised by his defense. (Right, Jayson Tatum?)
The Warriors waived Gary Payton II before the season opener, only to then bring him back and watch him morph into a vital role player.
Kuminga and Moody? They both contributed more than expected. Kuminga’s second-half surge provided much-needed athleticism, plus eye-popping
highlights that helped the team win games and rise above the doldrums.
Jordan Poole? He started 29 games with Klay Thompson out, then 22 more after his return, and had one of the great growth seasons in recent NBA memory. He then became an offensive spark off the bench in the playoffs.
So how did this ragtag group morph into a deadly backup unit?
One factor was Iguodala, signed for cheap to provide stabilizing play in the playoffs.
That never happened. Iguodala’s body wouldn’t cooperate, but he was a huge positive factor. Mentored the kids, encouraged the vets, kept everyone focused, and was Stephen Curry’s guardian angel, reminding everyone that they must not squander a vintage Steph season. Iguodala brought a level of professionalism to the bench that no coach and no other player could provide. The Bum Unit seemed to have two unwritten rules: Don’t Whine, and Be Ready.
The bench guys knew anything could happen. Payton played his way into the starting lineup for the second game of the Western Conference semis against Memphis, a remarkable feat. He was knocked out with a broken elbow, yet returned to play 18.5 minutes a game in the Finals, junkyard-dogging the Celtics to death.
The Warriors’ culture has zero tolerance for complaints about playing time and usage. In this group, everyone was smart enough to realize his place, was valued and needed and made to feel that way.
So was Myers a genius, or did the Warriors just get lucky, or was magic involved? All of the above. All we know for sure is this: The Bum Unit is undefeated.