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For the Golden State Warriors, the backup shooting guard position is like that one corner storefront that always goes out of business. You know the one. It’s a restaurant in a seemingly great spot, but for whatever reason it’s always caught in a cycle of closing down and new openings.
Ever since Leandro Barbosa left, the Warriors have been searching for an answer. Part of the problem is ironically what makes the team so good - Klay Thompson is an iron man, and our two key bench players in Andre Iguodala and Shaun Livingston are both larger guards that can handle the ball and shoot a bit.
What it’s meant is that due to low salary and minutes, we’ve had a revolving door of not-so-hot options. From Ian Clarke to Justin Holiday to Nick Young, the Warriors haven’t found a reliable backup at the shooting guard. Next up, two-way player Damion Lee.
In a very interesting article, Connor Letourneau wrote about why Andrew Bogut’s addition doesn’t quash Damion Lee’s chances at playoff spot.
...he’ll need the Warriors to convert his two-way contract into a guaranteed deal to play in the postseason...
To keep Lee for the playoffs, the Warriors will have to waive someone. The question is whether Golden State likes Lee enough to part with Alfonzo McKinnie, Jonas Jerebko or Quinn Cook, all of whom aren’t under contract for next season. The Warriors have until the end of the regular season to decide.
Now, would the Warriors really waive one of those three players right as the regular season ended? I don’t think so - but it’s an interesting question.
Alfonzo McKinnie seems like the player with the most overlapping skillset, but Lee would have to significantly outplay him in order to supplant him on the playoff roster. It’s worth noting that he has actually done so recently, and the Warriors shooting off the bench has long been a concern in some circles.
This has been a wild season, so of course it makes sense that the Warriors roster may not really be finalized just yet.