Since Jarrett Jack signed a four-year, $25 million deal with the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Golden State Warriors and Mark Jackson will have to address who will play the majority of the minutes at the backup point guard position.
The Warriors have several possible candidates. The first is Toney Douglas, who the Warriors signed as a free agent. Douglas is a quality defender who is quick, gets deflections, gets steals, and strongly pressures the ball. He’s also a decent three-point shooter. Last season, he shot 38.9 percent from three, matching a career-high.
The second option is Kent Bazemore, who was excellent in the 2013 Las Vegas Summer League and was named to the All-Summer League Team after averaging 18.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 3.1 assists in seven games. Bazemore’s strongest asset is his defense. He needs to prove that he can become more of a scorer and a better decision-maker as a point guard.
The third option is Nemanja Nedovic, who was selected with the 30th overall pick in this year’s draft. He officially signed with the Warriors after reaching a buyout agreement with his current team, Lietuvos Rytas of the Lithuanian A League. Nedovic is athletic, quick, and aggressive. He’s not afraid to attack the rim, and he’s excellent in the open court. He’s also a decent three-point shooter. He can still improve his decision-making, his defense, and his shooting.
The last option is Andre Iguodala, who will most likely start at small forward, but he could see some time as the backup point forward. Iguodala is a versatile player who can play several positions. He has averaged 4.9 assists over his career. Iguodala also likes to drive to the basket, so, as a point forward, he could help the Warriors in drive-and-kick situations.
Both Joe Lacob and Jackson have discussed how Iguodala can fill many roles for the Warriors. He probably won’t be the primary backup point guard though.
Jackson also saw Nedovic play in a couple of the Warriors’ practices during Summer League and liked what he saw.
“He’s a guy that can run a team, has a great feel for the game, and has a bright future, so we’re excited about having the opportunity of having here moving forward,” Jackson said about Nedovic.
When asked if Bazemore will earn more minutes this upcoming season because of his play in Summer League, Jackson mentioned that he admires how Bazemore continues to improve, works extremely hard, and stays ready. However, it didn’t sound like Jackson was quite ready to give him significant minutes at the backup point guard position.
“At the end of the day, we’re loaded,” Jackson said. “We’ve got five perimeter players that are better basketball players today than he is, and our three wing guys and Steph Curry and also Toney Douglas, who we picked up. These guys are legitimate players, so… We’ll see how it pans out, but he’s a guy I have a lot of confidence in, and he’s certainly separated himself during this summer.”
Based on what Jackson said, it seems like Douglas will play the majority of the minutes at the backup point guard position. Jackson and Lacob have to admire Douglas’ effectiveness on defense and his experience in this league, which will be significant assets off the bench. The Warriors’ rotation and minutes will most likely be determined in training camp and in the preseason, but, as of now, Douglas is the Warriors’ backup point guard.
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