Successful rookie eyeing larger role
The Chronicle is reviewing the season of each Warriors player after the team’s championship run.
Many questioned Patrick McCaw’s decision to forgo his final two years of eligibility at UNLV and declare for the NBA draft last summer. While other front offices wondered whether McCaw could add necessary muscle, the Warriors saw a shrewd playmaker who thrived in big moments.
Golden State paid Milwaukee $2.4 million for rights to him. During training camp, McCaw’s savvy on-court demeanor earned him the nickname among teammates of “P Nice.”
After strong showings in the summer league and preseason, McCaw’s role diminished in games that counted. The rookie combo guard was stuck behind Stephen Curry, Shaun Livingston, Klay Thompson and Andre Iguodala on the depth chart.
But as the season progressed, McCaw steadily earned more playing time. He was a fill-in starter at small forward when Kevin Durant missed six weeks with a left knee injury in the latter half of the season. Though he didn’t need to score much, McCaw played solid defense, set textbook screens and found open teammates in the flow of the offense.
Two of his best performances came in the playoffs. In Golden State’s Game 3, first-round win in Portland, McCaw had 11 points on 4- for-6 shooting with five rebounds and five assists. Three weeks later, in Game 2 of the Western Conference finals against San Antonio, he had 18 points, five assists, three rebounds and three steals in 27 minutes.
Offseason outlook: McCaw was one of five Warriors players who wasn’t going to become a free agent this offseason. Ian Clark’s likely departure will move McCaw up a rung, but he’ll still be behind Shaun Livingston on the reserve guard depth chart next season.
Regardless of who stays or goes this summer, McCaw is in line for an expanded role. The Warriors saw enough from him as a rookie to believe he can be a key rotational player for years.