By now, if you’re a NBA fan that has been following any of the Finals between the Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers, you’ve heard the story of how Warriors backup point guard Shaun Livingston went from suffering one of the worst in-game injuries (link to the video, which is ugly) in recent league memory to playing for a possible title.
But, and this is often mentioned in passing, taking deference to how Livingston has played for (like in this ESPN piece) 10 teams in his 11-year, stop-and-start career, the Peoria, Il. native and former No. 4 overall pick of the Clippers truly turned his NBA fate around in Brooklyn, not Oakland. He spent the 2013-14 season on a minimum deal with the Nets, who took a flyer on a veteran who hadn’t made a noticeable impact in years.
In Brooklyn, with famed point guard Jason Kidd as his coach and former All-Star Deron Williams as the regular starter at the 1, Livingston was given the reins of the Nets’ second unit. At least, that’s what was supposed to be the case before the season started. However, once the Nets got off to an ugly 10-21 start to the year, Kidd moved Livingston into the starting lineup as he implemented his “longball” system, which emphasized the big guard’s lengthy frame as the team went small. It worked very well and was vital to Brooklyn’s playoff run and first round win over the Raptors.
Averaging 26 minutes per contest in 76 games (54 starts) during the regular season, Livingston–on a team with an extreme level of instability for one that made the second round of the postseason–posted over eight points, three rebounds and three assists each night. Sure, that statline doesn’t blow anyone away, but his mistake-free method of leading the offense and solid backcourt defense provided unquantifiable benefits.
With the Nets was where Livingston transformed himself from being one of the NBA’s biggest cautionary tales to highly desired reserve court general. Billy King took a flyer on the former All-American in the summer of 2013 and it paid off well for both sides, as well as for the Warriors, who scooped him up for three years and $16+ million this past offseason.
Livingston was able to reap the financial benefits of his career year elsewhere as the Nets did not have the cap room to bring him back on another deal. Instead, the Western Conference champion Warriors–needing someone to give Stephen Curry rest here and there–got the perfect guy in Livingston, who has been vital in the playoffs on the defensive end for Steve Kerr. Like with the Nets, he isn’t relied on to score too many points so he can focus on other aspects of the game.
Obviously, his presence isn’t as much of a reason for Golden State’s incredible season as Curry’s MVP dominance or Draymond Green and Klay Thompson’s breakouts, but the 29-year-old (sidenote: pretty crazy he’s not older than that) has played an underrated role in how good the Warriors have been. Part of that credit goes to GM Bob Myers, part goes to Livingston himself but part also should be given to the Nets, who–had they not signed him two offseasons ago–wouldn’t have brought him into the NBA fold. Who knows how different the Warriors’ season would have played out without his services.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
