Warriors reserves showing improvement

Warriors reserves showing improvement

Three minutes into the second quarter at Houston, Warriors coach Keith Smart called a timeout.
His team was down 12 Wednesday and in danger of the game getting out of hand. But when his team emerged from the huddle, starting point guard Stephen Curry took a seat on the bench. In his place was rookie guard Jeremy Lin.

On the road, in a game they needed to win, Smart felt comfortable with his undrafted rookie who not too long ago wasn't ready to play in a preseason game. It was a testament to the confidence Smart has developed for his reserves.

For most of the season, the bench has been an model of inconsistency and a clear weak link on the team. But lately, the Warriors' reserves have shown some life.

"It's tough to go on two, three or four games," general manager Larry Riley said, "but we've had a couple of guys come off the bench and show that they're getting better. Jeremy, of course, is one of them."

Riley certainly has been watching the development of the bench closely. According to multiple team sources, the Warriors are willing to trade, but the market is scarce. And for the few players they are interested in, the asking price is too high.

Management doesn't want to cash in its expiring contracts unless it gets someone who can come in and contribute. The Warriors are hesitant to trade rookie forward Ekpe Udoh, who has drawn interest, without having seen him play.

The pool of options figures to increase come Dec. 15, when free agent signings from this past offseason are available to be traded. But one source said it is unlikely any trade would happen before January. Teams are more willing to deal (read: offer more) closer to the Feb. 24 trade deadline.

The reality is the Warriors are going to have to ride with the reserves they have for the foreseeable future. That is probably easier to swallow for Warriors fans with the signs of life they've shown lately.

"The bench is clicking right now," forward Rodney Carney said. "Starters were playing a lot of minutes and I guess in order for the coach to play us a lot, we needed to produce in the minutes we have. We've been producing, so I guess he trusts us now."

Lin, who has become steady enough to serve as a tempo changer, uses defensive pressure and his ability to penetrate. He's even knocked down a few outside shots, which was his obvious weakness.
Forward Rodney Carney scored 16 points in 19-plus minutes on Monday vs. Denver, and Wednesday at Houston he was part of the second unit that got the Warriors back into the game.
With power forwards David Lee and Brandan Wright out of action, big men Jeff Adrien and Dan Gadzuric have given Smart solid minutes for stretches. And swingman Reggie Williams has scored 15 or more in three of the last four games, showing signs of being the offensive weapon off the bench the Warriors envisioned.

The Warriors will get reinforcements in the next several weeks. Forward Lou Amundson, who was expected to be a key reserve when they signed him this offseason, is expected back the first of December. Udoh is slated to return from offseason wrist surgery in January.

"Our biggest issue right now of course is how long it's going to be before we can add some of our injured players," Riley said. "Our bench would be OK if we can just hang on long enough and keep growing, because we are seeing some improvement."

Note: Lee has been given clearance by doctors to resume light conditioning work after having the stitches removed from his injured left arm. Lee, who is in Oakland, will be re-examined today.

BRANDAN WRIGHT one of the fastest rising stars in the basketball scene.